Natalie Maria Sparrow
by nineteennintytwo
Summary: Jack isn't sure how to react when he finds Anamaria and her eleven-year-old daughter joining him on the voyage to rescue Elizabeth. But why does her daughter look so much like him? Starts midway COTBP. Implied Sparramaria. Now continuing into OST.
1. Hearing of a Crew

Summary: Eleven-year-old Natalie Maria Sparrow has lived with her mother, Anamaria, in Tortuga since she was born. But when her father arrives, looking for a crew, she and her mother join the mission to rescue the Governor's daughter from Captain Barbossa. But what will Captain Sparrow think of Natalie; the daughter he never knew? Starts midway COTBP and continues all the way through to AWE.

Disclaimer: I only own Natalie, and the rest belong to Disney.

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Hearing Of A Crew

The many gunshots, cries and laughter that echoed around the Pirate town of Tortuga were enough to put any young child off. Whether that child be a street urchin or a heiress, the drunks that swaggered around the town would be enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone below the age of fifteen. But with one Natalie Maria Sparrow, this was not the case.

She had grown up in this town. Her home. And all it's noises and many qualities were what Natalie liked the most. They didn't make her feel safe, but they made her feel comfortable, nonetheless. And she didn't have to worry about any of the drunks. Her mother had taught her how to fight ever since she was old enough to hold a sword.

Her mother, Anamaria, walked into the room above the tavern, looking somewhere between angry and satisfied.

"What's up, Mum?" young Natalie asked, sitting on the bed they shared.

Anamaria sat down, taking in a deep breath.

"Ye're not still angry about _him_ taking our boat, are ye?" Natalie then asked.

The '_him_' that Natalie was referring to was her father. One Captain Jack Sparrow. At eleven-years-old, Natalie hated her father with all her heart. He had gotten her mother pregnant, then left her without reason other than to sail the seas. Which ended in him getting mutinied upon by his own first mate. Served him right, Natalie thought.

"I am a little," Anamaria answered her daughter. "But I've just found a way to settle it."

"Ye have?" Natalie asked. "How?"

Anamaria gave a devious grin, one of which Natalie sometimes mimicked.

"Our dear Captain Sparrow has arrived in Tortuga lookin' for a crew," she explained to her daughter. "Apparently, the Governor's daughter has been kidnapped by Pirates, and a local Blacksmith from Port Royal has bargained with Jack to help get her back."

"Which Pirates tool her?" Natalie asked, more interested in that part of the story than the part with her father in it. "Was it Blackbeard? Ann Bonny?"

"Captain Barbossa of the _Black Pearl_," Anamaria answered. "I've told ye the stories, aye?"

Natalie nodded. The _Black Pearl_ was the ship her father used to Captain, before he got mutinied upon. Now it was being sailed by Captain Barbossa; her father's former first mate. And from what her mother told her, the ship and it's crew are supposedly cursed.

"But Jack has asked Gibbs to find a crew," Anamaria asked. "So, I intend to go and join, so I can give him a piece of my mind!"

"So are ye leaving me here with someone?" Natalie asked.

"No," Anamaria said. "Ye're comin' with me."

Natalie looked utterly shocked. And angry, at the same time.

"WHAT!?!" she screeched. "Mum, ye know I want absolutely nothin' ta do with him!"

"Nat, I understand why ye're angry at him, but this could be a chance to get back at him," her mother explained. "Just like I'm doin'."

Natalie looked down in thought, her long dark brown hair falling over her slightly tanned face. I would like to give him a piece of my mind, she thought. She closed her chocolate brown eyes, sighed, before looking back up at her mother.

"OK, I'll go," she said.

Anamaria smiled.

"Good girl," she said. "Now, I'm going back down to sign us up. Get ready for bed, and I'll be back up soon."

Natalie nodded, before taking off her boots and climbing in under the bed covers. Her mother went to walk out the room, but then paused, and poked her head back round the door.

"And giving him payback shouldn't be very hard," she told Natalie. "I mean, he doesn't even know that ye were born!"

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	2. Captain Sparrow

Thanks for all the reviews I've been getting so far! Enjoy this next chapter!

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Captain Sparrow

It was early morning when Anamaria and Natalie arrived down at the docks and joined the line of crewman. Both wore hats over their eyes, with their hair tucked in them, so as not to be recognized by Gibbs. But thankfully, he was too busy introducing the Captain to the other crew members.

"Don't say anything until I tell ye to," Anamaria whispered to her daughter.

Natalie just nodded before taking a peek at her father. His hair was of similar colour to hers, only hers was a little darker. This hair of his was in dreadlocks, with a red bandanna sitting around it. On top of this sat a tricorn hat, which was faded brown in colour. He also wore similar clothing to Natalie, except that he wore a dark brown (or was it faded back?) coat. He was talking to a sailor with a parrot on his shoulder, but apparently not getting anywhere with him. Behind her father stood a younger man, who Natalie assumed was the Blacksmith.

"And what's the benefit for us?" her mother spoke up.

Her father turned towards the end of the line, and Natalie lowered her eyes immediately. Luckily, the Pirate Captain's attention was on her mother. He crept towards the end of the line and paused. He lifted the hat that covered her face, and removed it from her head. Her hair came tumbling out.

"Anamaria."

SLAP!

Natalie was only just able to stop herself from laughing.

"And I suppose you didn't deserve that one, either?" the Blacksmith questioned.

"No, that one I deserved," the Captain said.

"You stole. My. BOAT!" Anamaria yelled.

"Actually..."

SLAP!

"...borrowed! Borrowed without permission," he said. "But with every intention on bringing it back to you."

"But you DIDN'T!" Anamaria yelled.

"You'll get another one!"

Anamaria pointed a threatening finger at him.

"I will!" she confirmed.

"A better one!" the Blacksmith said.

"A better one!"

"That one!" the Blacksmith went on to say, pointing at the ship in the bay.

"What one?"

The Captain looked out at the ship, before he had to oblige.

"Aye! That one!" he agreed, turning back to Anamaria. "What say you?"

Anamaria nodded.

"But I would just like to inform ye that I will be brinin' someone else with me," she said.

"Who?"

"Me."

Both men turned to Natalie, who removed her hat and let her hair down.

"Jack, this is my daughter; Natalie Maria," Anamaria introduced. "She's eleven."

Jack frowned at them both.

"And whys should I have to know?" he asked. "What's it got to do with me?"

"It's got plenty to do with you!" Anamaria snapped. "Don't ye remember, just under twelve years ago ye helped me escape that mad husband of mine? And what happened on the way here, hmm?"

"Of course I remember..."

But Jack trailed off when he realized what Anamaria was getting at. He looked back to Natalie, but by just looking at her, he could tell that it was true. She had deep chocolate brown eyes, just like his. She was unmistakably his daughter.

Jack looked to the ground, not moving. Gibbs waved a hand in front of his face, but this did nothing.

"I think he's stopped breathing," Natalie observed.

"Jack?" the Blacksmith said, giving Jack a slap on the back.

Jack snapped out of it, and began breathing again. He looked back down at Natalie, and smirked.

"So, how do you feel about having yours truly as a dad?" he asked.

But Natalie just stomped on his foot, before pushing past him towards the longboats. The rest of the crew hesitantly followed, leaving the remaining four standing alone.

"She's had a tough life," Anamaria told Jack. "And she kinda hates ye 'cause ye never came home to be a father."

Jack winced as he placed his aching foot back down.

"Great! That's the last thing I need!" he said. "A daughter with a grudge against me!"

Anamaria angrily snatched her hat back from Jack, before roughly placing it on her head and storming over to the longboats.

"No, no, no, it's frightfully bad luck to have a woman aboard, sir," Gibbs said. "Even a miniature one."

Jack was lost in thought, looking up at the sky.

"It would be far worse not to, however."

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	3. The Storm

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The Storm

It was the biggest storm that Natalie had ever seen. She had experienced many storms and hurricanes during her life in Tortuga, but this one was by far the biggest. Whether this was because the storm seemed bigger out at sea, she didn't know.

Natalie and her mother were helping Gibbs and the Blacksmith (who Natalie had learnt was named Will Turner) secure the sails, so as not to lose them in the wind. Natalie looked up to her father, who was up at the helm. He held a compass in one hand, and the wheel in the other. Natalie had to admit that even though he wasn't a very good father, he was clearly the best seaman she had ever seen.

"How can we sail to an island that no one can find, with a compass that doesn't work?" Will asked Gibbs, raising his voice above the storm.

"Aye, the compass doesn't point North," Gibbs answered, "but we're not tryin' ta find North, are we?"

Gibbs moved up to the helm and Will hurried away to do another job, leaving Natalie and Anamaria alone.

"If that compass doesn't point North, then where does it point?" Natalie asked.

"I don't know," Anamaria answered her daughter, "but I know better than to ask questions. Jack may be dishonest, but he's different compared to other Pirates. That's why I trust him."

"Mum, how can ye trust him?" Natalie asked in shock.

"Because there's more to him than ye think, Nat," Anamaria said. "He didn't become a Pirate by choice."

Natalie frowned. There was clearly more to her father than she first thought.

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Sorry that was a bit short. Please review!


	4. Isla de Muerta

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Isla De Muerta

The thick fog sat deeply on the water surrounding the Isla de Muerta, making it almost impossible for most Captains to guide their ships through the rocks and broken wrecks. Jack of course, wasn't most Captains, so found it relatively easy to guide the _Interceptor_ through the deep fog.

"Dead men tell no tales!" Cotton's parrot sqwarked.

"And neither do dead birds," Natalie said. "So if that bird doesn't shut up..."

"Nat, be quiet," Anamaria told her.

Natalie was about to snap back before she realized why her mother had told her this. The waters around them were filled with old shipwrecks, possibly dating back to when the Caribbean was first discovered by the Spanish. Or was it the British? Natalie decided not to ask.

"Puts a chill in the bone to think about how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs said.

Natalie looked down, and noticed the many hanner-head sharks swimming amongst the wrecks. She shuddered, before turning away. She spied her father up by the helm, steering the ship. He was looking at his compass. Natalie decided that this would be a good time to annoy him, so hurried up to the helm and stood next to him. She leaned over and took a look at his compass. Her mother was right. It didn't point North.

Jack noticed Natalie looking, so tried to ignore her. But when she just kept watching the needle spin round and round, he snapped it shut and continued to steer the ship.

But if he thought Natalie would go away, he was wrong.

Natalie just stood there, continuing to stare up at him. She was perfectly aware that it was getting on his nerves – and making him feel uneasy – and she enjoyed it. She was determined to make her father suffer by any means possible, and it was prooving to be easier than she first thought.

After about a few minutes, Jack rolled his eyes and turned to face her.

"Shouldn't you be doing something?" he asked.

Natalie just shrugged.

"Maybe."

She continued to stare at him, making Jack feel even more uneasy.

"What, may I ask, is so bloody fascinating about my face?" he asked.

Again, Natalie just shrugged. So in the end, Jack gave up and moved away from the helm – Mr Cotton taking over – before storming down to the lower deck.

"Bloody kids," he muttered.

Natalie smiled. This was prooving to be a fun voyage.

"Let go of the anchor!" Jack ordered. "Young Mr Turner and I are to go ashore."

_And I hope you never come back!_ Natalie thought.

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What a shock it was for her when Jack actually _didn't_ come back.

Will helped a woman – Natalie assumed was Elizabeth – on board, and after taking one look at the crew, her face fell. One reason why Natalie hated upper class women.

"Not more Pirates!" she said.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," Gibbs said.

"Mr Gibbs?" Elizabeth questioned.

Natalie wondered how she knew him.

"Hey boy, where be Jack?" Gibbs asked.

"Jack?" Elizabeth questioned in hate. "Jack Sparrow?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow, her opinion about this woman changing instantly. If she hated Jack Sparrow, then she and Natalie were on the same side.

"Fell behind," Will said, before leading Elizabeth away.

There was silence.

"Keep to the Code!" Gibbs ordered.

"Weigh anchor!" Anamaria shouted. "Stern to stern!"

"And good riddance!" Natalie added.

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	5. The Battle

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The Battle

It was Natalie who spotted the _Black Pearl_ first.

"Mum, we've got company!" she shouted.

Gibbs noticed too, so began to shout orders. In all the excitement, Elizabeth came out on deck.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"The _Black Pearl_!" Anamaria shouted. "She's gaining on us!"

Elizabeth joined Natalie by the railings, where they could both see the great ship approaching them.

"I swear, if my father is responsible for this..."

"Your father?" Elizabeth asked.

"Jack Sparrow."

Elizabeth gave Natalie a look of surprise.

"And don't even_ think_ about sayin' how lucky it must be for me to have a Pirate for a father; it ain't," Natalie continued. "I hate his guts!"

Elizabeth turned away, walking back over to Gibbs and Anamaria.

"This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!"

"You can tell them that after they've caught us!" Anamaria said bitterly.

"We're shallow on the draft, ain't we, Mum?" Natalie asked, joining the conversation.

"Aye."

"Then can't we lose them amongst those reefs?" Natalie suggested, pointing to the reef in the distance.

"We don't have to wait for them long, but just long enough!" Gibbs agreed.

Anamaria began to shout orders.

"Anything we can afford to lose, see that it's lost!" Gibbs ordered.

The crew began to chuck stuff overboard, and it seemed like the plan was working. Until Natalie looked back at the Pearl again.

"Oh, ye've got to be kiddin' me!" she shouted.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"They've got the sweeps out!" Natalie reported.

"Gibbs!"

Everyone turned to see that Will had joined them.

"We have to make a stand; we must fight!" he said. "Load the guns!"

"With what?" Anamaria asked.

"Anything! Everything! Anything we have left!" Will said.

"Load the guns!" Gibbs agreed.

Anamaria rolled her eyes and Natalie let out a sigh.

"The Pearl's gonna luff up on our stern quarter!" Gibbs reported after taking another look. "She'll rake us without ever presenting a target!"

"Lower the anchor on the right side!" Elizabeth ordered. "On the Starboard side!"

"Certainly has the element of surprise!" Will agreed.

"You're daft, lady!" Anamaria said. "You both are!"

"Daft like Jack!" Gibbs commented.

"But we already have one Jack Sparrow; we don't need any more!" Natalie said, before sighing and turning to her mother. "Are we the only sane people on this ship?"

"It would appear so," he mother agreed.

So the Starboard anchor was lowered, and as soon as it had caught on a rock, the ship swerved round sharply. Natalie gripped onto the railings tightly. The _Black Pearl_ also turned so the two ships were facing on another.

"Now!" Will shouted.

"FIRE ALL!" Elizabeth screeched.

All the cannons went off at once, all doing equal damage to each ship. Natalie knelt next to her mother, a musket in her hands.

"We could do with a few more ideas!" Gibbs shouted above the noise of the battle.

"Your turn!" Elizabeth told him.

"How 'bout a Devil's dowry?" Natalie suggested.

"Good, we'll give 'em her!" Anamaria agreed, pointing a pistol at Elizabeth.

"She's not what they're after," Will pointed out.

Elizabeth felt around her neck for something. But whatever it was, she couldn't find it.

"The medallion," she whispered.

Anamaria rolled her eyes as Will hurried away below deck. It wasn't long before something hit the mast, and sent it toppling down. The Pirates all came over, and Natalie took out a sword to fight them. Her mother had taught her how to defend herself whilst living in Tortuga, but she wasn't outstanding at swordplay. And she had never actually been in a fight as big as this.

But nevertheless, she kept on fighting. A Pirate came up from behind her and knocked her down, and was about to finish her off but someone came swinging over and knocked the Pirate into the water. The man landed on deck, and Natalie realized that it was Jack.

"You!" she said in disbelief.

She may have appreciated his appearance a little since it had saved her, but she still was annoyed to see him. Jack took out the flask that belonged to Gibbs and handed it to her.

"Give this to Gibbs for me, will ya," he said, before running over to where Elizabeth was fighting.

Natalie watched him go with a puzzled face, before putting the flask in her pocket and turning back to the fight. But she soon realized that the Pirates had won, since they outnumbered them.

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	6. True Origins

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True Origins

Natalie was tied up with her mother to the mast, along with the rest of the crew. Her father was standing not very far away in irons, but Will was no where in sight.

"If any of ye so much as _thinks_ the word 'Parley', I'll 'ave yer guts for garters!" a fat Pirate told them, as he and his skinny friend circled the crew with loaded pistols.

Natalie immediately began to repeat 'Parley' over and over in her head, but was interrupted by Elizabeth ducking under the ropes, and the sudden explosion of the _Interceptor_.

Elizabeth immediately threw herself at Barbossa, but the Pirate Captain just pushed her into the hands of some lustful Pirates who began to claw at her. She screamed.

"Barbossa!"

Natalie spun her head round to see Will standing on the railings. He jumped down and pointed a pistol at the Pirates.

"She goes free!"

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die," Barbossa told him.

Will went to stand back on the railings.

"You cant. I can," he said, pointing a pistol at his head. "My name is Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner; his blood runs in my veins!"

"E's a spittin' image of ol' Bootstrap Bill!" the skinny Pirate piped up. "Come back ta 'aunt us!"

"On my word, do as I say," Will continued, "or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones Locker."

So Barbossa asked for his terms to be named, and Will said for Elizabeth to go free and for the crew to remain unharmed. Barbossa agreed, before walking over and taking a look at the crew. He paused in front of Natalie.

"How interesting," he said with a sinister smile. "A baby Sparrow."

Natalie went wide eyed, which immediately confirmed that the Captain was correct.

"How did you know she's mine?" Jack asked, in confusion rather than concern.

"She looks just like ye, Sparrow," Barbossa said, before turning back to Natalie. "Once the curse is lifted, I have plans for you."

"You will not touch her!" Anamaria yelled, struggling against her ropes.

The fat Pirate tried to secure her, but Anamaria spun round and sent him a deadly glare. Both the fat Pirate and the skinny Pirate cowered away in fear.

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Yeah, sorry for the short chapter. Please review!


	7. Locked Up

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Locked Up

Whenever Natalie imagined herself in cells, she was always on the other side telling her father to 'take the plea'. But now she, her mother, Gibbs and the rest of the crew were locked up all in one cell, with Will in a separate one opposite.

"If I ever get outta here, I will swim all the way to that little spit of land and make my father _wish_ he had shot himself the first time round!"

"Nat," Anamaria told her. "Your father's been through a lot, remember? He's been mutinied upon, and now he's had to watch his ship sail away twice."

"And where's the part where I care?" Natalie asked.

"Natalie, please," her mother said. "Yes, I understand that what he did was wrong, but ye have ta get over it."

She turned away and leant her forehead against the bars. Natalie frowned, and noticed the look on her face.

"Ye still love him, don't ye, Mum?" she asked.

Anamaria let out a sigh.

"He's different, Nat," she explained. "He's the only man who's ever treated me like an equal. Not even my own husband did. To him, I was a possession. But Jack...he treated me like I was someone worth while, and he gave me a chance to be myself."

Natalie looked away. She still hated Jack, but if her mother loved him, then she was happy for her. Just outside the cells, the fat Pirate and the skinny Pirate were mopping the floor.

"Squawk! Shiver me timbers!" Cotton's parrot squawked.

Natalie looked at the parrot, before turning to the two Pirates.

"Cotton says ye missed a bit," she told them.

The fat Pirate used the mop to hit the bars.

"You knew William Turner?" Will asked the fat one.

"Old Bootstrap Bill? We knew 'im," the fat Pirate said. "Never sat well with Bootstrap, what we did to Jack Sparrow. Says it wasn't right with the code. That's why he sent of a piece to ye; he said that we deserved to be cursed, and remain cursed."

"Stupid blighter," the skinny Pirate muttered.

"Good man," Gibbs corrected.

Natalie agreed. He was certainly a lot better than her dad.

"But as ye can imagine, that didn't sit too well with the Captain," the fat Pirate continued.

"That didn't sit too well with the Cap'n, at all," the skinny Pirate repeated. "Tell 'im what Barbossa did..."

"I'm telling the story!" the fat Pirate snapped. "So what he did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps; the last we saw of old Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker. Of course, it was only after that we learnt that we needed his blood to lift the curse."

"Now that's what you call ironic," the skinny Pirate agreed, before they snickered.

Both were interrupted when Barbossa arrived in front of them.

"Bring 'im!" he ordered, throwing the keys to the skinny Pirate.

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	8. Escape

If you're all interested in another Jack-has-a-daughter story, please read my crossover Nim Sparrow. Thanks!

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Escape

All was quiet aboard the _Black Pearl_. With all the cursed Pirates gone – save for two – the noise levels had been reduced dramatically. Natalie and the crew still stood – or sat – in their little jail cell, waiting for their fate to be decided. They knew that Barbossa would keep his end of the bargain, but only for as long as Will remained alive. As soon as he was dead, the crew wouldn't last much longer, either.

Natalie was the most worried. She had heard tales about Barbossa and his reputation as a Pirate, and she feared what he and his crew would do to her if they wanted to get back at Jack.

They suddenly heard a noise on the stairs, but it was too quiet and hushed to be the Pirates returning.

"Shush!" Gibbs hissed to the others, before standing up and looking through the bars.

Natalie and her mother leapt up too, and soon saw Elizabeth hurrying down the stairs, dressed in Naval uniform.

"It's Elizabeth!" Gibbs gasped.

* * *

The two cursed Pirates crept around on deck, looking for the intruder who had appeared on the ship under their noses. Hearing a splash, they turned and looked over the side.

And failed to notice the longboat flying straight towards them.

They both looked up again and saw the longboat too late. It smashed right into them, their bones breaking into pieces and falling overboard into the sea. The crew cheered, before Elizabeth hurried forwards to the longboat.

"All right, all of you with me! Will is in that cave and we must save him!" she announced. "Ready? And, heave!"

She pulled on the rope, only to discover that she was the only person doing it. She looked back at the crew, to find them all staring at her.

"I need your help, come on!" she said.

Cotton's parrot squawked something Natalie couldn't quite make out.

"Cotton's right, we've got the Pearl," Gibbs said, relaying the message.

"And what about Jack, are you just going to leave him?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I couldn't care less," Natalie said. "He owes us a ship, anyway."

"Plus, there's the Code to consider," Gibbs added.

"The Code?" Elizabeth questioned. "You're Pirates! Hang the Code, and hang the rules! They're more like guidelines, anyway!"

But the crew still wouldn't move.

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"Bloody Pirates!" Elizabeth muttered, as she rowed into the caves of the Isla de Muerta.

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	9. Words of a Ship

Interesting chapter, this one. Enjoy!

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Words Of A Ship

For the rest of the night, the entire crew was on edge, and despite her inexperience with ships and crews, Natalie could still tell that both were restless. The ship itself seemed restless, and this had an effect on the crew as well.

"Maybe it'll pass?" Natalie suggested, when her mother came over and informed her that things weren't looking too bright.

"I'm not sure if it will, Nat," Anamaria told her. "The _Black Pearl_ is far more than just an ordinary ship. It has personalities like a person, far stronger than any other ship, Pirate or not. And when it feels restless, that always means that she wants something to make her feel whole again."

Natalie had to admit, that the ship did – in a way – feel unhappy. Like there was a trapped spirit inside her which needed to be set free, and was trying to tell the Pirates how to do it. More specifically, what she wanted. Natalie had heard the Pearl's whispering voice all the time she was on board, but now, she knew what it was, and she could hear the voice loud and clear. It was calling for one person, and one person alone.

_Jack. Jack. _

"She wants something, but we don't know what," Gibbs said. "Only Jack could hear the voice of the ship."

"Ye mean the voice that's calling 'Jack, Jack'?" Natalie asked.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"Mother's love! She has the gift!" Gibbs gasped.

"It's not too surprising that she has it," Anamaria told him. "She _is_ Jack's child, after all."

"Gift? What gift?" Natalie asked, confused by everyone's astonishment.

"The gift that allows ye to hear the voice of the ship," Gibbs explained. "Very few people have it, and Jack is one of them."

"Oh," Natalie realized. "That's why on board the _Interceptor_, I kept hearing a voice saying 'can someone get these bloody Pirates off of me!'."

"And now that I think about it, I guess the Code is more like guidelines than actual rules," Gibbs figured.

So the _Black Pearl_ turned towards Port Royal, hoping that it wasn't too late to save Jack.

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Was that interesting enough for you all. Sorry this chapter was so short.


	10. Bring Me that Horizon

Sorry this is a little short. Enjoy!

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Bring Me That Horizon

It wasn't.

Cotton's parrot flew on ahead, and his presence allowed both Will and Elizabeth to seize their chance and rescue Jack. His presence also informed Jack that his crew had come back for him, after all. So after falling off the wall of Fort Charles, he swam over and was hauled aboard by his new loyal crew.

"Thought I told you to stick to the Code?" he asked Gibbs.

"We figured they were more like guidelines," Gibbs told his Captain, helping him up. "And it was the Pearl who told us to come back for ye."

"Gibbs, last time I checked, you couldn't hear the ship," Jack reminded him.

"Maybe _I_ can't," Gibbs said, before nodding over to the side.

Jack turned, to find Natalie standing a short distance away, with a smug smile planted on her face.

"Oh," he said, before walking over to her. "Turns out you're more like me than both of us realized."

"It would appear so," Natalie said, before holding out her father's hat towards him.

Jack smiled and nodded, before taking it from her and plopping it on his head.

"Captain Sparrow," Anamaria began, walking forwards and placing his coat around his shoulders. "The _Black Pearl_ is yours."

Jack flashed her a smile, before walking over to the wheel of the Pearl and rubbing his hand along it. He then realized that they were all on a ship – a ship that wasn't getting anywhere any time soon.

"Get moving, you scabberous dogs!" Jack shouted. "Haul loose and get ready to run free!"

Everyone got moving, rushing around the deck and preparing the ship for the journey ahead of them. Just as Jack muttered something along the lines of "bring me that horizon", Natalie sent him a smile, before hurrying away to help her mother with the sails.

He wasn't such a bad father, after all.

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OK, this story isn't over yet! I intend to continue all the way through to AWE, so expect a long story! Please review!


	11. Argument

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Argument

Natalie realized two things just days after they had left Port Royal.

The first was that the _Dauntless_ was pursuing them. They had been given one days head start, but that still didn't stop Commodore Norrington from making his hatred for Pirates known. Jack didn't seem too worried, though, since he had said many times before "the _Black Pearl_ is nigh uncatchable."

But even though that posed as a major threat, that still didn't stop Natalie from noticing the second thing. They weren't going back to Tortuga. Instead, the _Black Pearl _was sailing out further into the Atlantic Ocean, away from the warm, Caribbean waters. Anamaria had promised her that they would be going straight back to Tortuga once the adventure was over, so why weren't they going back there now?

Natalie decided to get some answers, so walked straight up to her mother.

"Mum, why aren't we going home?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Her mother looked up with a puzzled expression.

"Whatever do ye mean?" she asked. "We _are_ home."

"No, our home is in Tortuga," Natalie told her. "Not on a Pirate ship which keeps whispering stuff ta me!"

"Nat, the Pearl is our home now," Anamaria explained to her.

"No it ain't!" Natalie snapped back. "Just 'cause ye still love Dad, don't mean that he loves ye back!"

"Natalie Maria, ye don't even know that!" Anamaria shouted. "I'm yer mother, and what I say goes!"

"I can't believe ye're being so selfish!" Natalie screamed. "Just because ye wanna stay here, don't mean that I want to, as well!"

Before Anamaria could say anything else, Natalie stormed away below deck, not wanting to speak to her mother at all. Anamaria was able to go after her, when a sudden cry stopped her dead in her tracks.

"HURRICANE!"

* * *

Please review!


	12. The Hurricane

Enjoy if you can.

* * *

The Hurricane

The hurricane came in fast, and before anyone on the _Black Pearl_ knew it, they were right in the worst of the storm. Natalie sat below deck, still upset about the argument with her mother. Tortuga was her home, and even though it was filled with drunks and prostitutes, she still wanted to go back. Gibbs then stumbled down the stairs, absolutely soaked to the bone.

"Everyone needs to be on deck, NOW!" he ordered.

Natalie rolled her eyes, before following Gibbs out on deck. She wasn't too keen on seeing her mother – or her father – at that moment in time, but she figured two things. One: She probably wouldn't be able to see either in the storm. And two: She was still on a ship, and needed to help the crew get through the storm. She didn't hate them.

When Natalie arrived out on deck, she was almost blown over by the strength of the wind and by the strong waves splashing over the deck. But she was able to regain her balance, and hurried over to help Gibbs tie up some lines.

"Take the sails down!" Jack shouted from his position at the helm. "The wind will blow us over if we don't!"

Most of the crew ran to do this, including Natalie. They all climbed up the mast and secured the sails, all wearing their life lines in case they fell. Natalie looked to her left as she did the job asked, and realized that her mother was working next to her. Anamaria looked up and noticed her daughter, but before a single word could be exchanged between them, a large wave splashed over the mast.

Both fell, but Natalie's life line prevented her from falling overboard. The wind carelessly tossed her forwards and backwards, and the young girl ended up slamming to the deck with a scream. She leapt up immediately and squinted to try and find her mother amongst the rain and wind. She saw her dangling from her life line, and smiled with relief.

But this look of relief turned into a look of horror when Anamaria's life line snapped, and she fell overboard into the raging waves below.

"MUM!" Natalie screamed, so loud that it could be heard above the thunder and lightning which struck at that very same moment.

In that instant, Natalie realized that she didn't hate her mother. She loved her. She tried to hurry over and somehow save her, but a strong arm grabbed her. Natalie spun round and came face to face with her father.

"Lass, it's too late!" he yelled, and as much as Natalie didn't want to believe him, she knew that what he said was true. "She's gone."

* * *

Yeah, I know that's kind of depressing, but I want to work on the relationship between Jack and Natalie, and I think Anamaria would just get in the way. Plus it's my theory on what happened to her during COTBP and DMC.


	13. Missing Her

Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Missing Her

Natalie sat in Jack's cabin, gazing out the large windows in the back at the open sea outside. She couldn't believe it. Her mother was well and truly gone; taken by the sea. Natalie didn't know what to do, or how to think. She regretted the row she had had with her mother, since those angry words were the last words she had ever said to her mother, and that she couldn't take them back now. It was too late.

Jack came walking into his cabin, swaying back and forth in a drunk like motion. He spied Natalie sitting by the window and sighed. He was about the same age as her when his own mother had passed away; the only member of his family who he actually got along with. But for Natalie, it must feel ten times worse. Because he was all she had now. She didn't have relatives on Anamaria's side of the family, and the other members of his family certainly weren't an option. Taking off his hat and coat, Jack went to sit by her, and an uncomfortable silence passed between them.

"How you feeling?" he asked her finally.

Natalie let out a deep sigh, but apart from that, she said nothing. She even turned a little away from him, trying to block him out.

"You are part of the crew too, you know," he continued. "So really, you need to be getting back to work."

That was the final straw for Natalie. She snapped.

"Ye are so _self-centred_!" she screamed at him, shooting up from her seat and turning to face him. "My mum has just _died_ and all ye can think about is runnin' yer stupid _ship_! Why do ye always just care about yourself!?!"

Jack was about to answer, but Natalie wouldn't let him.

"Wait, I know why!" she said. "It's 'cause ye're a stupid, bloody _PIRATE_!"

Jack jumped back slightly, shocked by his daughter's sudden outburst. Natalie was breathing deeply, showing hate in her little chocolate eyes.

"Take me back to Tortuga," she demanded.

"Huh?"

"I said, take me back to Tortuga," Natalie repeated.

"Why?" Jack asked. "You don't have anywhere to live there, since Anamaria's dead. Plus, without her, you won't stand a chance in a place like that."

"I seemed to be coping al right until we left," Natalie said. "Now wait, why was it that we left. Oh right, it was because _ye_ turned up! If it wasn't for _ye_, we would still be back in Tortuga! And if it wasn't for _ye_, Mum would still be alive!"

"Sorry, lass, but I am going to have to sadly decline your request to drop you off in Tortuga," Jack said. "I'm all you have left, and what I say, goes. Savvy?"

"No, I don't take orders from _ye_!" Natalie yelled at him. "Ye may be my father, but to me, ye don't seem like it! I mean, ye don't even care that Mum is dead!"

"Now Nat, that isn't true..."

"Don't ye _DARE_ call me Nat!" Natalie snapped back at him. "Only Mum calls me Nat. And if ye really _did_ care, ye would have cared to see that Mum loved ye so much!"

Jack's eyes seemed to go wide. Anamaria..._loved_ him?

"Yeah, I bet ye didn't know that, huh?" Natalie continued. "Well it's too late to do anything now, because she's _gone_! Now, either ye take me home, or I shall jump overboard and swim there myself!"

"Lass, please," Jack tried to tell her. "This is for your own good."

"Oh, _for my own good_, eh?" Natalie began. "Well, it's all clear now! Had ye said so in the first place, I would have happily accepted the fact that I would be stayin' here with ye! But now, wait a minute...does yer idea of 'my own good' entail Pirating, looting, and puttin' up with a family I don' wanna be apart of? Yeah, I can see by the look of yer face that that's _exactly_ what ye have in mind, so if it's not a bother with ye, could ye _please_ sail back to Tortuga and let me off this bloody ship!?!"

Jack let out an annoyed sigh, looking up at the ceiling with frustration. He had said a similar sort of thing to his _own_ father when he was younger, and now understood the saying 'taste of your own medicine'. He seriously considered doing this and never having to put up with her again, but something stopped him. She may be a pain in the rear end, but Jack still felt something for her. Some sort of weird connection that bonded them together, and he wasn't about to let it break apart.

"Look," he began, "as much as I would _love_ to do exactly that, I can't. I may be a Pirate, lass, but I wouldn't leave a girl your age n a place like Tortuga so you can get raped, beaten, and eventually killed. So I'm gonna say this one more time, and I want you to listen carefully. I'm all you have left, and what I say, goes. Savvy?"

* * *

Tough love, eh? Yeah, Natalie's little 'for my own good' rant was taken from Jack Sparrow book 10 - Sins Of The Father. I've just changed it a bit. Anyway, please review and tell me what you all think!


	14. Drawing of a Key

SailorSytarSaturn: She won't see the kiss, but she will see the flirting scene earlier on, and feel like Jack's betraying her mother. And yes, she will feel guilty and sad over Jack's death, mainly because they have an argument just before it happens. Your thoughts were pretty close.

AMoRPoP: Like I said above, she won't witness the kiss, because if she does and Elizabeth explains that Jack wants to stay behind, Natalie would probably realize that Elizabeth has done something, so will probably try and get back to Jack as well as blurt out what she saw. And that would ruin the plot. But she does witness the flirting scenes before that, so would feel a bit hurt anyway. The rest of it was pretty much what I was intending to do anyway, apart from Elizabeth's feelings (which is a good idea, so I might include that). Oh, and don't worry about the short chapters. I am trying to make future chapters longer. Thanks for the review!

* * *

Drawing Of A Key

For both Jack and Natalie, it was a struggle for the next year. The young girl avoided her father as much as she possibly could, and jack knew better than to try and talk to her again; it would have just probably made things worse. But what seemed to surprise him, was his growing feelings towards Natalie. But it didn't surprise him too much. He may have been a Pirate who only cared about himself, but he wasn't heartless enough to pretend that he didn't have a daughter.

Jack was careful only to dock in Tortuga twice, knowing that Natalie would take any chance she could to jump ship and run off. First time round he locked her in his cabin, which didn't cause any problems besides a moody attitude once they had set sail again. But the second time Natalie was able to pick the lock, and would have escaped if Jack hadn't been returning to the ship at that moment in time. He had slung her over his shoulder and carried her back, with the girl kicking and screaming at him to put her down and leave her alone. Jack didn't listen, of course, and locked her in the brig for the two days which followed.

When Natalie turned twelve, Jack did try to throw her a Birthday party. But Natalie had been far from happy. After a few rounds of rum, she left the deck crying, and Jack later discovered that she was upset due to her mother not being there to celebrate her Birthday. Which also highlighted the fact that Anamaria would never witness another one of her Birthdays again, which made it all the more unbearable for Natalie. But this still didn't stop jack from getting her a present; a white shell tied onto a thread of string, creating a necklace. Natalie had said that he shouldn't give her a gift because he didn't deserve to be her father, but Jack had noticed later on that she was wearing it around her neck.

It had been a full year since Anamaria's death, and Jack had succeeded in escaping a Turkish prison with a piece of cloth, with a drawing of a key on it. After telling this to his crew, he asked if there were any more questions.

"So...do we have a heading?" Marty asked.

"Ah! A heading!" Jack said, taking out his compass and watching the needle spin round and round. "Set sail...general...that way, direction!"

The crew looked in the direction their Captain had just pointed, and the eyes of Joshamee Gibbs seemed to go wide.

"Cap'n?" he questioned.

"Come on! Snap to it! You know how it works," Jack said, passing by them towards his cabin.

But he came to a halt when he found Natalie waiting outside, her arms folded across her chest.

"What?" he questioned.

"Oh, nothing," Natalie said. "Just trying to make it clear that whatever ye're doing, I don't wanna be apart of it, along with all the other acts of Piracy we've been doing for the past year!"

"Nat," Jack began, using her shortened name since she didn't mind him using it any more, "I'm you're only living relative left since you're mother died, so you don't have any where else to go."

"I must have some sort of relatives somewhere?" Natalie asked.

"Anamaria didn't have anyone left, and she was married to a lunatic when I met her," Jack explained. "And I do have many family members dotted around Madagascar and some in Shipwreck Cove, but that lot are a lot worse than me. And that's really saying something."

"I don't care where ye dump me, I just wanna be let off this ship; preferably in Tortuga."

"For the last time, Nat, you are not leaving this ship, and that is an order from you're Captain," Jack told her, before storming past her into his cabin and slamming the door shut.

"But you can't keep telling me what to do!" Natalie shot back.

"Watch me," Jack said, poking his head out the door again. "When you get your own ship, you can make your own rules."

"Fine!" Natalie huffed, before she began to storm away.

"Oh, and that's not me giving you permission to somehow buy and/or steal yourself a ship," Jack added, before disappearing back into his cabin again.

Natalie paused, before shaking her head.

"Shoot!"

* * *

OK, that was supposed to be longer, but I ran out of ideas. Please review as always!


	15. Panic

SailorSytarSaturn: Don't worry, there won't really be any more arguments between them. From now on Natalie begins to understand that he's only trying to help her. Oh, but there will be a small argument before Jack gets killed by the Kraken, but that's there because it will make her feel even more guilty. But I guess Elizabeth has her little kiss of death, so Natalie can have an argument-of-death. But anyway, no more arguments apart from the one.

Enjoy!

* * *

Panic

The ship's gentle rocking were enough to sooth Natalie to sleep, but she still couldn't drift off because a certain father kept repeatedly tapping his compass. Natalie yanked her pillow over her head, but could still hear the tapping. She began to wish that Jack had never made her move into his cabin with him, but what could she say? With the crew snoring all night long, the offer seemed like a good idea at the time, no matter how mad she was at him. She found it weird that Jack was paying more attention to her since her mother died, but she just let it go. It was probably for his own selfish reasons, as usual.

After the tapping continued for another minute, Natalie let out a sigh and flung the pillow back down again, turning in her hammock towards her father.

"Look, I'm trying ta get some sleep here, so can ye please?" she asked, pointing at his compass.

"Sorry, Nat," Jack said, not even looking up. "It's just...not working like it should."

"Again?" Natalie asked. "Why is it starting ta do this now?"

No matter how much she hated him for keeping her on the Pearl, Natalie still talked to her father, and sometimes had a decent conversation with him. Mainly about the ship, or the sea, or Pirates, but their most recent one had been about Jack's compass. Natalie had noticed him getting angry with it, so had asked why it wasn't pointing where it was supposed to. Jack didn't say much, other than there were a lot of things on his mind. A few days later, the compass seemed to have been working again, but now, it wasn't.

"I guess there's still a lot of things on my mind," Jack admitted. "Sort of personal stuff, so please don't ask."

Natalie just shrugged, before turning over in her hammock and closing her eyes. But they shot open again when Jack started to tap on his compass again, before he threw down one of his little map pieces. She then heard him pick up a rum bottle, but she didn't hear the gulping sounds of him drinking it.

"Why is the rum always gone?" he asked.

_Because ye drank it all, _Natalie thought.

She heard Jack get up from his seat, before she heard him stumble slightly.

"Oh," he said. "That's why."

He walked out of the cabin and down below deck, and Natalie was able to settle back down again.

_Finally some piece and quiet. _

But that didn't last very long. Because no more than five minutes later, she heard her father's yells from down below.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK! I WANT MOVEMENT!"

Natalie immediately leapt out of her hammock and pulled on her boots, before hurrying outside to find the rest of the crew sleepily arriving on deck with pistols drawn. It looked like no one knew what was going on; besides Jack, of course. Natalie found him hiding behind the mast, using a cloth to wrap around his hand.

"Which port are we heading to?" she asked him.

Jack jumped at the sight of her, but calmed when he realized that it was only his daughter.

"RUN! LAND!" he said quickly, before hiding behind the mast.

Natalie assumed that he didn't hear her right, so poked her head around the other side. Jack once again, jumped at the sight of her, causing Natalie to jump slightly, too.

"I said which port?" she asked again.

"Didn't say port! I said land! Any land!" Jack told her.

Then all of a sudden, Barbossa's monkey swung down from the mast and swiped Jack's hat clean off his head. The little annoying monkey had swum to the Isla de Muerta sometime after the _Black Pearl_ had left, and had stolen a medallion so it became immortal. It had only gained access to the _Black Pearl_ when Jack decided to pick up all the treasure that wasn't cursed, just hours before an Earthquake struck the island and caused it to sink beneath the waves. Natalie had seen the episode from the Pearl, since Jack had refused to let her go ashore with him.

"Blasted monkey!" Natalie shouted, as Jack hissed at the creature.

The monkey wasn't too happy with either Sparrow, so threw the hat overboard. And whenever Jack's hat went overboard, the crew knew that they had to go back for it no matter what.

"Jack's hat!" Gibbs shouted. "Bring her about!"

"No, no! Leave it!"

That really shocked the crew. Natalie turned to her father in utter astonishment; Jack never abandoned his hat. Ever. So what could be more important than his hat? Usually, nothing, but something was clearly up, and Natalie could sense it. She and Gibbs exchanges worried glances, before approaching where Jack was lied flat against the window outside his cabin.

"Jack, for the love of mother and child, what's coming after us?" Gibbs asked at a whisper.

Jack glanced over at them both, his face a powdery white.

"Nothing!" he said hurriedly, before disappearing into his cabin.

This left Gibbs and Natalie standing silently, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Ye'd better ask him what's up," Gibbs told the young girl. "He'd sooner tell you than us."

"Seriously?" Natalie asked him. "I would 'ave thought that he'd tell ye more than me."

"No, that's not necessarily true," Gibbs said. "Ye are his daughter, after all. And just because ye hate him, doesn't mean that he hates ye."

Gibbs wondered off to boss everyone about, leaving Natalie standing on her own. What does Gibbs know that she doesn't? Jack doesn't like her, does he? He was the one who confined her to the ship and never allowing her to leave, so why would he like her? Natalie shook the many questions in her brain away, before entering the cabin. She found Jack hiding under his desk, and rolled her eyes.

"Unless ye're expecting me to play a game of hide-and-seek with ye, ye're hiding under that desk because something clearly _is_ coming after us," Natalie said flatly.

Jack jumped a little at her presence, before he climbed out and gave her one of his looks.

"Nothing's coming after us," he told her, but Natalie could see right through him.

She continued to glare at him, which made Jack uncomfortable. And in the end, he eventually gave into her.

"All right, there is something coming after us," he admitted. "But please stop staring at me like that, it burns!"

"I knew it," Natalie said, smiling. "So, what is this great 'thing' which is chasing after us, hmm?"

Jack let out a sigh, and Natalie noticed his facial expression become serious. Which wasn't normal; Jack was hardly ever serious. The only time she had ever seen him like this, was just after her mother had died.

"Nat, what I'm about to tell you is something you can't tell the crew," he began. "You need to listen very carefully, as I'm only gonna tell you this once. Savvy?"

Natalie nodded, before her father told her something that had been bothering him for the past thirteen years.

* * *

Yes, I've finally done a longer chapter! Anyway, please review, and I should be updating soon!


	16. Cannibal Island

OK, before I begin, sorry that the beginning of this chapter is a bit slow. I don't know how they ended up in those cages (and I don't think anyone does), so I sorta had to make it up.

* * *

Cannibal Island

Whether the situation was hopeless or not, Natalie still knew that it was the strangest situation she had ever been in. She and the remaining members of the crew were in bone cages, hanging from a cliff, and with no means of escape.

Natalie didn't know what to make of what her father had told her. Thirteen years before, his ship had been sunk by the East India Trading Company, so Jack had made a deal with Davy Jones; if he raised the Pearl for Jack, and allowed him to be Captain of it for thirteen years, then Jack would serve on the Dutchman for 100 years, or alternatively, be sent to the Locker by the Kraken – the terrible beastie that Jack was trying to run from. Natalie's response had been that it served him right and that he should have thought about the consequences before he made the deal; she had also asked to be placed in Tortuga so she wouldn't get eaten with him, but Jack told her that she didn't need to, because he had a plan. He would have told her a lot more, but Natalie had stormed away to the crow's nest and refused to come down.

They had arrived at the island of the Pelegostas the next morning, and while the island inhabitants bowed down to Jack, Natalie and the crew were taken away an imprisoned. After this they were separated, Natalie being put in a group with Gibbs, Marty, Cotton, and twelve others. The other half were led away, and the remaining members heard their friends' painful yells no more than five minutes later.

The cages were finished the newt morning, and whilst the crew were being forced into them, more Pelegostas arrived with another captive, who turned out to be none other than Will Turner. He was placed in the cage Natalie was in, before both were lowered down into the canyon.

"I can't understand why he would do this to us!" Natalie said, being the first to speak in a long time.

"She's right," Will agreed, turning to Gibbs. "If Jack is their chief..."

"Aye, the Pelegostas made Jack their chief, but he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief," Gibbs explained.

"Does that mean 'e had no choice but ta do this ta us?" Natalie asked.

"Otherwise they would have eaten us," Gibbs said.

Natalie winced, looking a lot like Jack as she did.

"Which means he's as much their captive as the rest of us," Will realized.

"Worse, as it turns out," Gibbs said. "Ye see, the Pelegostas believe that Jack is a god in human form, and intend to do the honour of releasing him from his fleshie prison."

Cotton bit Gibbs' hand to show what he meant, and Gibbs yanked his hand back in pain.

"They'll roast him and eat him," he finished.

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Will asked.

"Don't look now, Will, but they're closer than ye think," Natalie said, tapping her hand on the bone cage.

Will jumped back in surprise and utter shock.

"Jack's life will end, when the drums stop," Gibbs said, listening to the beating drums in the distance.

"Then we can't just sit here and wait, can we?" Will said.

* * *

Five minutes later, Will's plan was being put into action. Both cages rocked back and forth, until the people inside were able to grab a hold of the vines on the side of the cliff.

"Put your legs through, start to climb!" Gibbs ordered.

"Come on, it'll take all of us to crew the _Black Pearl_!" Will shouted.

"Actually, we wouldn't need everyone!" a crewman shouted from the other cage, and Natalie recognized him as a man called Leech. "About six would do."

Both cages stopped suddenly, realizing two things. The first was that the drums had stopped; did that mean that they were too late, and that Jack was already dead? But the second thing they realized was that it only took six people to crew the _Black Pearl_, and that there were about six in each cage. The race was on.

"Hurry!" Will shouted, as both cages began to climb even faster than before.

Then Natalie noticed a cannibal walking along the bridge above them, and realized that there was a good chance that he would see them escaping, and warn all the other cannibals.

"Stop!" she hissed, pointing up at the bridge.

The cage she was in came to a halt, but the other cage continued on silently.

"Stop!" Natalie hissed again, realizing the reason she hated Pirates, despite being one herself.

But all she received were chuckles from the other men – which soon turned into screams of horror when Leech picked up a snake instead of a vine. This caused them all to panic, which resulted in them all letting go and falling back down again. The fall and their weight made the rope holding their cage snap, and they all plummeted down deep into the canyon.

And what made things worse, was that the cannibal on the bridge had noticed the other cage.

"MOVE!" Will ordered.

No one needed telling twice, and soon, they arrived at the top of the cliff. Natalie found a sharp rock, and was able to use it to cut the rope the cage was attached to. But before they could even begin to break open the cage, the cannibals came bursting through the trees after them.

"Roll the cage!" Will shouted.

This proved not to be the best idea, however, when the cage was sent rolling uncontrollably down the hill, until it collided with a tree in it's path. The cannibals were still after them.

"Life the cage!" Will yelled.

"Yes, lift it like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs agreed.

Natalie sent him a glare, but this disappeared when they were forced to keep running. They soon fell down a small canyon, and landed into a river below; the cage broke during the fall, and the crew were forced to swim for their lives when the cannibals began to throw spears at them. But this stopped when a young boy showed up, and said something which made the cannibals hurry away.

"Let's go!" Natalie ordered, and no one disagreed with her.

* * *

When they got back to the Pearl, Natalie recognized two of Barbossa's former crew trying to steal it. She wondered how they were still alive, but decided that it wasn't at the best of times to ask.

"Get ready to set sail!" Gibbs shouted, also not questioning Pintel and Ragetti's sudden appearance.

"What about Jack?" Will said. "I can't leave without him!"

"I can!" Natalie told him, before turning to climb aboard the Pearl.

"OI!"

Everybody turned to see Jack running up the beach towards them, but their looks of relief became looks of pure horror when they noticed that Jack was being chased by all the cannibals.

"Never mind, let's go!" Will shouted.

* * *

Yeah, I used the line from the DMC trailer, basically because I think that one is a lot better than the one they put in the movie. When I first saw the trailer, it had me in stitches! Anyway, please review, and I should be updating soon!


	17. Another Adventure

AMoRPoP: I personally have no clue, either. Although I think FantasyBard explains it fully in her story, so you could give that a read.

* * *

Another Adventure

Jack made it back to the ship. Just. Halfway on board, he decided to say his famous exit line, but a wave ruined it completely; which of course, sent Natalie into stitches of laughter. Jack ignored his laughing daughter as he walked over to Gibbs.

"Lets put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea," he said.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar that we keep to the shallows as much as possible," Jack said, giving Pintel and Ragetti weird looks.

"That seems a bit pointless ta me," Natalie said. "Then we'd have ta keep sailing all night, and ever then it would take us longer than usual."

"Nat, you know what will happen if we strayed into deep water so I wouldn't say anything against safety at this moment in time," Jack told her. "Now where is that monkey; I need to shoot something!"

Ragetti's wooden eye dropped down to the deck, and the lanky Pirate picked it up as Jack got his pistol ready to shoot the ball of fluff. But before he got the chance to even fire _one_ shot, Will interrupted.

"Jack, Elizabeth is in danger," he said.

"Again?" Natalie questioned. "It seems that every time ye want help, it's got something ta do with Elizabeth. I mean, the best solution would be ta lock her up somewhere."

"She _is_ locked up in a cell," Will said. "Due to be hung for helping your father escape."

Jack silently crept away up to the helm, but neither Will nor Natalie seemed to notice.

"Everyone who 'elps him always seems ta die," Natalie said bitterly. "Which is why no one should."

Will looked around, and realized that one person was missing.

"Where's Anamaria?" he asked.

Natalie looked down at her feet in sadness, and Will picked up on the fact that Anamaria was no longer with them.

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," Natalie told him. "It happened not long after we left Port Royal; I've been trapped on this stupid boat ever since."

"Why's that?"

"Well, I asked ta be dropped off in Tortuga sometime after Mum died, but Jack refused ta let me off," she explained. "Says that I won't last a minute there by meself."

Will raised an eyebrow at this. He agreed that she probably wouldn't last a minute in Tortuga, but he couldn't understand why Jack hadn't just let her off the ship anyway. Last time he was with them, Jack and Natalie hadn't gotten along very well.

"But anyway, shouldn't ye be sorting things out with Jack?" she asked, trying to get off the subject of her mother.

Will looked up, and noticed Jack whispering something to Gibbs up by the helm. He walked up the steps to him, and Natalie followed.

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste," he said.

Jack didn't seem to be paying much attention to this; just to his own wheel of thoughts.

"William, I shall trade you the compass, if you help me to find this," he said, showing Will the piece of cloth with the key on it.

_Of course, _Natalie thought. _He has to involve Will in his crazy schemes. _

"You want me to find this?" Will questioned, pointing at the key.

"No; _you_ want you to find this," Jack said.

"Here's the thing, Will," Natalie began, knowing that he would understand her explanation better than Jack's. "Jack will only do something for someone if there's either profit for him, or if someone does something for him first. And in this situation, the latter applies. Savvy?"

Will seemed to understand.

"This, is going to save Elizabeth?" he asked, taking the cloth in his hand.

Jack leaned in closer.

"How much do you know about Davy Jones?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Not much," Will said.

"Yeah, it's gonna save Elizabeth."

* * *

Please review!


	18. Tia Dalma's Shack

Low and behold, I've finally managed a longer chapter! Not sure whether I'll be able to keep this up, but it's a start, right? Enjoy!

* * *

Tia Dalma's Shack

The jungle was dark and damp, and Natalie could feel her heart beating faster in fear as the two longboats drifted further down the river. The musket in her hands was already gripped tightly to her body, and her knuckles were as white as her bones. She was sitting in the first longboat with Jack, and she couldn't understand why he was doing this. He said that there was someone here who could help, but who in their right mind would live in a place such as this? Natalie was about to find out.

Just as night fell, a small shack came into view. The boats drifted towards it, and once they had reached the small pier, Jack stepped out onto it.

"No worries, mates," he addressed everyone, "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are...were...have been...before..."

"I'll watch your back," Gibbs told him.

"It's me front I'm worried about," Jack told him, before turning to Natalie. "Which is why you'll go first."

Natalie's eyebrows knotted together in confusion, but she didn't have time to argue; Jack ushered her up the ladder first, and once outside the door, he overtook her and crept inside. Natalie followed, and saw a Jamaican woman sitting at a desk on the far side of the room. She looked up, and smiled when she saw Jack.

"Jack...Sparrow," she said with a grin on her face.

"Tia Dalma," Jack said with an equal amount of happiness, ducking to avoid the hanging jar of eyeballs.

Tia Dalma stood up from her desk and approached him, but paused when her eyes rested themselves upon Natalie.

"You."

Natalie, at first, thought she was looking at someone else, so turned. But when she realized that there was no one behind her, she turned back to Tia Dalma.

"Me?"

Tia Dalma stepped closer.

"You have a long struggle ahead of you, Natalie Maria Sparrow."

Natalie looked surprised.

"Wait, how did ye-"

But Jack stepped in before she could say any more.

"So sorry, but we've come for help and we're not leaving without it," he said, leading Tia Dalma away.

The voodoo woman sat at her desk again, and the rest of the crew gathered round.

"What service can I do you?" she asked, before her head snapped up to look at Jack. "You know I demand payment!"

"And I brought it!" Jack said, before showing her the cage with the monkey inside. "An undead monkey! Top that!"

He placed it down on the desk, and Tia Dalma opened the cage to let him out. The monkey scurried away.

"Hey, that thing don't deserve to be let loose!" Natalie complained, holding up her hands that were full of bites. "Do ye know how many times it bit me whilst I was tryin' ta catch it?"

But Tia Dalma just ignored her.

"The payment is fair," was all she said.

"We're looking for this," Will said, taking out the cloth and placing it on the table, "and what it goes to."

Tia Dalma looked at it, before her eyes glanced up at Jack.

"The compass you battered from me," she asked, "it cannot lead you to this?"

Jack looked hesitant.

"Maybe," he said. "Why?"

Tia Dalma smiled.

"Ahh...Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants!" she said playfully. "Or, do you know, but loath to claim it as your own?"

Jack just turned away.

"Your key go to a chest," Tia explained, "and it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"But, what exactly is inside?" Natalie asked.

"Rum, perhaps?" Gibbs questioned.

"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" Pintel guessed.

"Nothing...bad, I hope," Ragetti gulped.

"You know of, Davy Jones?" Tia Dalma began. "A man of the sea. A great sailor. Until he ran afoul of what vexes all men."

"Which is?" Natalie asked.

"The sea?"

"Sums?"

"The dichotomy of good and evil?"

Everyone looked at Ragetti in confusion.

"A woman!" Jack told them.

"A woman," Tia repeated. "He fell in love."

"No, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with," Gibbs corrected.

"I heard it was both," Natalie said.

"The girl is right," Tia explained. "It was a woman, as changing, and harsh, ans untameable as the sea; he could never stop loving her. But the pain it had caused him, was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die."

"How's that work out, then?" Natalie asked. "He can't live and die at the same time, can 'e?"

Will looked at her, before turning back to Tia Dalma.

"What exactly, did he put in the chest?" he asked.

"Him heart."

"Literally, or figuratively?" Ragetti asked.

"He couldn't literally put his heart it a chest!" Pintel snapped.

Natalie raised an eyebrow, and turned back to Tia Dalma.

"Could 'e?" she asked.

A smile spread across the voodoo woman's face.

"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings," she explained. "And so, he carved out him heart, lock it in a chest, and hide the chest from the world. The key, he keep with him at all times."

Will stood up, realizing something.

"You knew this," he said to Jack.

"I did not," Jack denied. "I didn't know where the key was; but now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, find the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonny lass, eh?"

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Tia Dalma, who asked to see his hand. So Jack reluctantly gave it to her, and the voodoo woman carefully unwrapped the fabric, to reveal the Black Spot in the palm of Jack's hand. Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti did a silly dance when they saw it, which Natalie found quite amusing, and was followed by Jack saying that his eyesight was as good as ever. Tia Dalma disappeared into another room, and re-entered carrying a jar of dirt.

Davy Jones cannot make port, and cannot step on land but once every ten years," she said. "Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, so you will carry a land with you."

She handed him the jar. Both Jack and Natalie just stared at it, puzzled expressions on their faces.

"It's a...jar of dirt," Natalie said. "How is a jar of dirt goin' ta help?"

"If your father does not want it, then he can give it back," Tia told her.

"No!" Jack protested, hugging the jar close to his body.

"Then it helps," Tia answered Natalie's question.

Before Natalie could protest that this wasn't the answer to the question she asked, Will spoke.

"It seems, we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_," he said.

Tia Dalma sat back down again and picked up her crab claws.

"A touch, of destiny!" she said, before throwing them down on the desk.

* * *

Please review!


	19. The Flying Dutchman

So for my absense in writing recently. I just haven't found time to write, plus my feet have swelled up in a rash. But that also means I can't go to college, so I now have a bit more time to write. So...uh...yeah, enjoy!

Added note: BAD NEWS! Apparently, Pintel, Ragetti, Marty and Cotton will NOT be returning for the fourth movie! I really feel like screaming about it! Good news is that there's a petition to bring them back, and here's the link for it:

h t t p : / / w w w . gopetition . com / petitions / potc-4-bring-back-the-crew . html

Just take out the spaces.

* * *

The _Flying Dutchman_

It was pouring in rain, but Natalie didn't seem to notice this, since her eyes were glued upon the wrecked ship in the distance. She was only twelve, but even she could see that something wasn't right. The _Flying Dutchman_ was supposed to be an unstoppable ship; if that was the ship from all the legends, then Jack was a fifteen-year-old girl with a good figure. Will seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" he questioned. "She doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you," Jack commented. "Do not underestimate her."

There was a pause. Natalie seemed to be the only one present who noticed Jack kick Gibbs in the shin.

"Must have been a foul in the reef!" the first mate blurted out, presumably against his own will; as if he and Jack knew something that Will didn't.

Whatever it was, Jack hid it very well.

"So what's your plan, then?" he asked Will.

"I row over, search the ship, until I find your bloody key!"

"But if there's crewmen, what will ye do, then?" Natalie asked.

"I cut down anyone in my path!" Will didn't hesitate to answer.

"I like it," Jack shrugged in agreement. "Simple, and easy to remember."

Natalie rolled her eyes before walking to sit on the steps leading to the helm. Will left for the Dutchman in his little boat, and Natalie distinctively heard Jack saying something about Will settling his debt. But she ignored it. It was something to do with her father, and she always seemed to ignore anything which was to do with her father. Or attempting to, at least. That strategy seemed to have been failing miserably during the past few days.

* * *

Some time later, they were still waiting for Will to return. Jack decided to find out what was taking the bloody whelp so long, so took out his spyglass and looked through it towards the wrecked ship. He wasn't particularly comforted to see that Will had been caught, and that Davy Jones was standing on the deck. The sea Captain turned to face Jack, and Jack immediately realized what was about to happen. And he knew one person who couldn't be seen.

"Nat, get into my cabin, now!" he ordered.

"Why should I?" the girl asked bitterly.

"Because-" Jack began, lowering his spyglass and turning to face her.

But at the moment he did, Natalie let out a scream. Jack turned back to where he was facing, and found Davy Jones standing in front of him. More fish people showed up, and each threatened a member of Jack's crew. Jack didn't seem scared at first, but when he saw Natalie being threatened, he felt a hint of pure, literal fear, for the first time.

"Oh," was all he could allow to come out of his mouth.

"You have a debt to pay," Jones said coldly, taking a few steps towards Jack. "You've been Captain of the _Black Pearl_ for thirteen years; that was out agreement!"

"Technically I was only Captain for _two_ years, then I was viciously mutinied upon," Jack tried to explain.

"Then you were a poor Captain, but a Captain nonetheless!" Jones snapped. "Have you not introduced yourself all these years, as _Captain_ Jack Sparrow?"

He mocked Jack, and the rest of the fish people laughed.

"You have my payment," Jack tried. "One soul to serve aboard you ship is already over there."

Natalie screwed her eyes in confusion, until she understood what Jack meant. Will. He had tricked Will over there to serve in his place aboard the _Flying Dutchman_. That was low, even for Jack.

"One soul is not equal to another," Jones informed him.

"A-ha! So we've established that my theory is sound in principle. Now, we're just hanging over price."

Natalie's eyebrows knotted together in confusion. What?

"Price?" Jones questioned.

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" Jack asked.

_None_, Natalie thought.

"One-hundred souls," Jones answered. "Three days."

"You're a diamond, mate," Jack said, turning to walk away. "Send me back the boy, and I'll get started right off...ah..."

A crewman stood in his way, and not a very friendly looking one, at that.

"I keep the boy! A good faith payment! That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go!" Jones said with a chuckle.

He then turned to Jack with a hint of trickery shown in his eyes.

"I've heard rumours about you lately, Sparrow," he said. "Where'd be your little baby Sparrow?"

This made Jack stop dead. Jones knew about Natalie. He swore, that if he did anything to her...

Jones seemed to ignore the look of pure horror on Jack's, and turned to where Natalie was being held by a crewman/sea monster. The sea man let her go, but she wasn't free for very long, and was soon grabbed by Jones. Jack couldn't help but let a small gasp escape from him.

"Will you be willing to give her up for a lifetime of freedom?" he questioned.

So Jack was faced with a choice. He could let Jones take Natalie with Will, and he would be free to roam the seas for the rest of his life, without the danger of being gobbled up by any terrible sea beastie. But would it be worth it? Would he be able to live with the guilt of knowing he'd condemned his own daughter to a lifetime of servitude whilst he roamed free? For some reason, it sounded a whole lot worse to him than being eaten by the Kraken did.

"She's not part of any bargain between us," he simply answered. "Both past and present."

Jones sneered, before letting Natalie drop down to the deck. She laid there for a few moments, trying to take it all in. Jack had be given an opportunity to regain his freedom, and he didn't take it. Natalie wasn't sure why, but it became certain to her that Jack was going to probably use her later for his own interests.

"So, I'll gather up your ninety-nine souls in three days," Jack promised. "So, shall we seal in blood, or er...ink?"

Jones grabbed his hand, and Jack gasped when the slim from his tentacle completely covered his skin.

"Three days," Jones repeated, and this was whispered amongst the sea people as they all disappeared.

Jack looked at his hand and noticed the Black Spot disappearing, before he turned his attentions to Natalie. She was still lying on the deck, and Jack hurried over to help her up. But she snatched her hand back from him.

"Well if _that's_ how you want to thank me-"

SLAP!

"Now I know I didn't deserve that."

"I don't know what ye're problem is, but ye need ta stop thinkin' 'bout yerself all the bloody time!" Natalie shouted at him.

"Hey, don't accuse me of that when I could have easily sent you over there for the rest of your miserable life!" Jack snapped back at her.

Natalie hesitated, before storming away into the cabin. She knew that he had a point, but didn't want to admit it. She rested herself against the cabin door, and was able to hear the conversation that was being said outside.

"Fortunately, he was mum on the condition in which these souls need be," she heard her father say.

"Aye, Tortuga!" Gibbs said.

"Tortuga!"

Tortuga. When the name was mentioned, Natalie felt excitement and determination grow inside her. She was going home. And once she was there, she vowed that she would never leave again.

* * *

Sorry, I know i said no more arguments until the end of DMC, but this one just couldn't be avoided. Don't worry, there shouldn't be any in AWE (since Jack would have died, and this is going to have a huge effect on Natalie), but I know there's going to be one right before Jack gets taken by the Kraken. Please review!


	20. Home Again

Before I begin, I'd like to inform you all of a story by my fellow author insane lil piratess which needs more reviews; it's called Where I Am, and I think it deserves a lot more attention that what it's getting at this present moment!

AMoRPoP: Don't worry, you're first review didn't sound stupid. I've seen stupider. This one is longish, but I hope you like it.

* * *

Home Again

Natalie was locked in the cabin long before she could even smell the rum-soaked alleys of Tortuga. It was pretty clear that Jack didn't want to re-enact the events of last time, but Natalie was determined to get away from him. So anyone could imagine her shock when Jack opened the door and ushered her out.

"I can't trust you here alone," was all he said on the matter. "And besides, I know what it's like to be deprived of freedom, so I'm gonna allow you to come with me and Gibbs to help gather those 99 souls. But don't even _think_ about running off; savvy?"

Natalie grunted in reply, before she followed her father and Gibbs through the mayhem of Tortuga. Once they arrived inside the _Faithful Bride_, Gibbs set up a table and began to interview hopefuls who wanted to join the crew of the _Black Pearl_. And when he asked them all why, their answers were as follows:

"Truth be told, I've never sailed a day in me life. I figured that I should go out and see the world while I'm still young."

"My wife ran off with me dog, and I'm drunk for a month; and I don't give an rat's ass if I live or die."

"I have one arm and a bum leg."

"Ever since I was a little lad, I've always wanted to sail the seas, forever."

Natalie was surprised that all these weaklings and goons were being hired. But then again, they only needed 99 souls to give to Davy Jones; the squid-faced jerk never stated the condition the souls needed to be in.

"How we going so far?" Jack asked, not even glancing up from his compass.

"Including those four, that gives us..._four_!" Gibbs answered.

Jack shut his compass and shook it repressively, and Natalie watched him in amusement. She barely even noticed the bloke who had appeared in front of Gibbs, and it was only when Jack glanced up at him did she turn to see who it was. It was a very scruffy sailor, and from what he was wearing, Natalie assumed that he must have belonged to the Royal Navy.

"Commodore?" Gibbs questioned in astonishment.

"No, not any more; weren't you listening!" the Commodore snapped, slamming his fist down on the table. "I nearly had you all, if it weren't for that hurricane."

At the mention of the hurricane, Natalie diverted her eyes down to her lap. It looked as though she wasn't the only one who lost something important. Next thing she knew, the Commodore had flipped the table backwards and pointed his pistol at Jack, who was trying to slip away unnoticed. Natalie looked around; everyone was too caught up in what was going on in order to pay attention to her. Now was her chance. Snatching up a palm leaf from the pot, she slipped it in front of her face and crept away.

"You're hired," Jack told the vengeful Commodore.

"Sorry; old habits, and all that."

But right before he could pull the trigger, two of Jack's newest crew members hurried forwards and diverted the pistol. The shot was fired, and it ended up smashing a bottle of rum some bloke was holding at the far end of the room. And like a chain reaction, a fight broke out.

"Time to go..." Jack began to say, but he trailed off when he noticed that Natalie was missing. "Bugger."

Gibbs looked round in confusion, and noticed the young Sparrow girl missing, too.

"Where could she have gone?" he asked, turning back to his Captain.

But Jack was already long gone.

* * *

Natalie finally stopped running once she was safely inside an alley-way, and ditched the palm leaf in her hand that she had used to hide her face. Maybe now that she was gone, Jack would realize how much he really didn't need her, so leave her in Tortuga. Natalie inhaled a deep breath of air, taking in the familiar scent of rum and ale that she was so used to. It felt good to be home.

She didn't notice a man creep up behind her, and without warning, he grabbed her around the waist and slapped his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, before dragging her further into the alley-way. Natalie struggled in his grasp, but he was too strong, especially when he pinned her up against the wall.

"Listen to me, you little brat," he hissed in her ear. "I knew your mama, and about a year ago, she made a complete fool out of me. So I intend to get my pay back, and I intend to take it out on you."

He pinned her even closer against the wall, before he began to undo his trousers. In an instant, Natalie realized what he was about to do, so tried to cry out for help. But it only sounded like a whimper underneath the man's hand.

"Quiet!" he hissed at her. "I want to enjoy this."

Too bad for him that he never would. For right at that moment, the man was punched to the ground by someone else, before being hauled up again by his collar. Natalie took in deep, rasping breaths; she knew that this would be a good time to run, but her feet refused to move as they stayed firmly glued to the spot.

"You leave my daughter alone, mate," a threatening voice said.

Natalie's face spoke the word 'shocked'. The man's face became horror struck. But before he could even give a word of response, Jack used an empty rum bottle to whack him around the head, allowing the man's limp body to fall to the ground. He and Natalie's eyes met, and for a while, silence passed between them. Natalie wasn't sure what to say. She never thought that her father would do anything like that, and service to say, she was in complete shock.

Jack watched his daughter closely, secretly thanking the Heathen Gods that he had gotten there in time. If he hadn't...Jack couldn't even imagine what would have happened. It had struck a cord in his heart when he had seen what that man was about to do to Natalie; it had caused him pain he had never felt before. There and then, he vowed to himself that he would never let anyone hurt her again.

When he realized that Natalie was in too much shock to move, jack slowly approached her and wrapped one arm around her fragile body, before leading her away back towards the Pearl. To his surprise, she made no argument against his actions. And too his even greater surprise, she gripped his coat tightly and began to cry into him. This continued all the way back to the Pearl, until Jack opened the door to his cabin and allowed her to walk inside.

"Are ye sure you're gonna be all right alone?" he asked her.

Natalie just wordlessly nodded her head, so Jack gave her a smile before shutting the cabin door. When Natalie was alone, she ran over in her head what had just happened. Jack had been right. She never would be able to stay in Tortuga without someone to protect her. But what really got her thinking was that Jack had done something in which he didn't gain any profit for him.

Unless he _wanted_ to save her?

* * *

Please review!


	21. The Truth about Beckett

Firstly, I'd like to recommend this story to you all; it's called Lost Memories by insane lil piratess, and it's an awesome story which needs more reviews!

* * *

The Truth About Beckett

When Natalie awoke the next morning, she immediately sensed that the ship was moving by the role of the waves rocking it back and forwards. They had left Tortuga, but for the first time, Natalie was glad. The events of the night before had haunted her dreams while she had been sleeping, and the only reason why she hadn't woken up in fright was that her father would show up in the dream and everything would be all right.

As her thoughts drew back to her father, Natalie didn't feel the hate she had felt towards him before; in truth, she didn't know how she should feel about him any more. But she knew that she should be thankful that he was there to save her in time. Her hand gently touched the white shell necklace he had given her on her twelve birthday.

She eventually made the decision to go outside for some fresh air. The crew were working the ship, and Natalie would have joined them if someone hadn't hurried over and wrapped their arms around her.

"Natalie, it's so good to see that you're all right!" Elizabeth exclaimed, hugging the young girl tightly.

Natalie pulled away in shock. What was Elizabeth doing here?

"How...?Why...?" she began to ask, but found that she couldn't draw the right words from her mouth.

"I came looking for Will," Elizabeth explained.

Natalie was about to tell Elizabeth that Will was no longer with them and why that was, but before she could, Jack called the two of them over to where he and Gibbs were standing. Natalie and Elizabeth wandered over, and Natalie noticed the pieces of paper being held in her father's hands.

"What are those?" she asked.

"Letters of marque," Jack explained to his daughter. "They offer me pardon and employment. Highly doubt they're genuine."

"But they're signed; Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company," Elizabeth told him.

"Blah!" Jack said, poking his tongue out.

"Will was working for Beckett, and never said a word," Gibbs stated (Jack made another "Blah" of agreement). "Beckett wants the compass. Only one reason for that."

"Of course," Jack realized. "He wants the chest."

"Yes, he did say something about a chest," Elizabeth recalled.

"If the company controls the chest, they control the seas," Gibbs said.

"And is that a bad thing?" Natalie asked.

"Of course it'll be bad!" Gibbs told her. "Bad for every mother's son who calls himself Pirate!"

He hurried away whilst shouting orders, which gave Jack a chance to turn and talk to Elizabeth. Natalie just wandered away, deep in thought. The distant look that had been on her father's face when they were talking about Beckett had puzzled her, and it didn't take her very long to realize that her father must have history with him; and by the looks of things, it wasn't a good history. She made a mental note to question him about it when he was finished chatting with Elizabeth.

Once he was, he came over to where she was sitting on a barrel and enquired after her health.

"I'm fine," Natalie answered. "But who's this Beckett person, and how do ye know 'im?"

The same distant look that had flashed earlier flashed across Jack's face again.

"We go way back, luv," he explained. "About over thirteen years, I'd say."

"What happened?"

Jack sat himself down on a barrel next to his daughter, which told Natalie that the story was going to be a long one.

"Well, to begin with, I wasn't always a Pirate," he began. "My family were, but I wanted to make my own decisions. You could say that I was the rebellious child."

Natalie smiled slightly.

"So anyway, that's why I joined the East India Trading Company in the first place," Jack continued. "I wasn't too keen on what they did, but I wanted to rebel against me dad, plus I needed the money. But boy, what a mistake I made."

"What happened?" Natalie asked again.

"Well, Beckett assigned me the duty of transporting cargo from Africa to the New World," he explained. "I didn't know what the cargo was, so I signed the papers anyway. It was only when the voyage was under-way did I realize that the cargo was slaves."

Natalie let out a gasp. She had a grudge against slave traders; her mother had been brought to the New World through trade, and it had been an experience she had rarely talked about, but had told Natalie enough to show that it was evil.

"Now, I have my own personal vows on slavery, so I let them all go along the coast of South Africa," Jack continued. "I hoped that I wouldn't get caught, but Beckett somehow found out. And that, was how I got this."

He pulled up his sleeve and showed Natalie the Pirate brand that was on his wrist. Natalie was in shock. All her father had done was give people the freedom they deserved, and that was the payment he received. And he had known that he would get it. Natalie suddenly respected her father in a whole new light.

"I was locked up and ready to be hung – but being who I am, I was able to craftily escape – and my ship was sunk, along with the crew," Jack finished. "And that led onto the whole Davy Jones incident which I already told you about."

Natalie found that she was speechless from what her father had told her. In truth, it had been the last thing she ever expected.

"Dad, I...I don't know what ta say," she began. "I...I didn't know..."

"That's all right, luv," Jack said, ruffling up her hair.

Natalie found herself smiling as she battered his hand away. Maybe now, they could build a better relationship. Make up for all those years Jack missed of watching his daughter grow up. Now, they had all the time in the world.

Or so they thought.

* * *

Jack's teen years and his phase of not wanting to be a Pirate are all recalled in the Jack Sparrow books by Rob Kid. All should be available to buy off Amazon.


	22. Betraying Her

SailorSytarSaturn: No, it isn't her first time she's called him this. She began calling him this during the year between COTBP and DMC.

Oh, and sorry that this chapter is so short. I just think that this moment deserved it's own chapter.

* * *

Betraying Her

Natalie seemed to be in a more pleasant mood. They were out at sea, and she and her father were getting along like a father an daughter should. And that was how it was going to stay; or so Natalie thought. She was below deck piling up the supplies, when Pintel and Ragetti came down the steps, deep in conversation.

"I'm tellin' ye, there's somethin' goin' on between those two," Ragetti was saying.

"And _I'm_ tellin' ye, that she's already engaged to that whelp of 'ers," Pintel snapped back.

Natalie looked up at them with curiosity. What on earth could they be going on about now?

"What's the argument about today?" she asked them in an annoyed tone.

"Rags 'ere thinks that Lizzie is havin' an affair," Pintel explained. "And I'm tellin' him that she can't be if she's gonna be marryin' that Turner boy."

Natalie closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, before opening them again and turning to Ragetti.

"I highly doubt that she'd be havin' and affair with anyone on this ship," she told him. "She _is_ engaged to Will; and besides, why would she want ta have an affair with anyone on 'ere?"

"But _yer_ mum slept with the Cap'n," Ragetti pointed out. "So Lizzie might wanna do it for the same reason."

Natalie's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Oh, he thinks it's yer father who Lizzie is havin' the affair with," Pintel explained.

"They're up there now," Ragetti added.

Natalie pushed past them and hurried up the steps, but when she arrived out on deck, she stopped dead at the sight in front of her. Ragetti had been right.

There was Jack and Elizabeth, their faces just inches away from on another.

The old flame inside of Natalie reignited, and the hate she had felt towards her father returned all in the matter of seconds. How could he? How could he do something like this?

How could he betray her mother in this way?

* * *

Yeah, I know, Nat's mad at him again. But I think any kid would be mad at their father if they had an affair with another girl right after the kid's mother died. But don't worry, it'll only last up to the end of DMC...and I think anyone can guess why...

Please review!


	23. The Chest

AMoRPoP: Yeah, I know that chapter was short. But I couldn't think of what else to put; I just wanted to get straight to the point. Hopefully this chapter should be longer.

Enjoy, all!

* * *

The Chest

Natalie kept her head down as she, Jack, Pintel, Ragetti, Elizabeth and Norrington rowed towards the little island, where the chest of Davy Jones was supposedly buried. She hadn't spoken a word to her father – nor to Elizabeth – since she had seen them together, and frankly, she was mad at both of them.

She was mad at Jack because he was her father, and in her opinion, he shouldn't be looking for another woman to be with. He hadn't even shown any love to her _own_ mother, and there he was, betraying Anamaria by getting together with a woman who was _engaged_.

Which of course, made Natalie angry at Elizabeth. She was engaged to Will, and having an affair with another man wouldn't really get the marriage off to a good start. Before, Natalie saw Jack as her father, and Elizabeth as her friend. Now, she saw Jack as a betrayer and Elizabeth as a two-timing wrench.

"You're pullin' too fast."

"You're pullin' too slow," Ragetti told Pintel. "Don't want the Kraken to catch us."

At the beast's name, Jack flinched and whipped his head round, before returning to normal (if one could call hugging a jar of dirt at his age normal).

"I'm savin' me strength for when it comes," Pintel argued. "And I don't think it's 'Kraken' anyways. I always heard it say 'Kray-ken'."

"No, no, no; Kroken's how it's pronounced in original Scandinavian," Ragetti corrected him. "But Kraken's closest to that."

"But we ain't original Scandinavians."

"It's a mythological beast, I can call it what I wants."

This argument carried on until the landing party arrived on the shoreline. Jack dumped his coat in the longboat and took out a spade, and Elizabeth took out a compass ready to follow. Jack turned to the others.

"Guard the boat," he told Pintel.

"Mind the tide," he told Ragetti.

"And don't touch my dirt," he told Natalie, before walking further into the island with Elizabeth and Norrington in tow.

Natalie felt like going against him on his order, but that meant that she would have to tag along with him, and she would rather stay with Pintel and Ragetti than do that. So she took a seat in the longboat, watching Ragetti balance an ore on the palm of his hand.

"Guard the boat, mind the tide!" Pintel mocked Jack bitterly, as he paced back and forwards. "Mind if I shine your shoes, sir!"

"I could join the circus," Ragetti commented, still balancing the ore in his hand.

Natalie buried her head in her hands. How had her life gotten so low, that she had to settle with these two idiots for company?

"What's that?"

Natalie looked up, and turned her attention to the patch of sea where the two idiots in question were looking towards. There was a ship out there, and at first, Natalie thought it was the Pearl – into it dived under the water and disappeared.

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"RUN!" Pintel cried, as he and Ragetti hurried along the beach.

Natalie looked to them, the empty patch of sea, then back at them, before leaping out of the longboat and hurrying after them.

* * *

Natalie overtook both Pintel and Ragetti as she ran, which allowed her to arrive on the scene first. But it wasn't what she had expected. Will had magically arrived on the island, and he, Jack and Norrington were fighting over the key which presumably went to the chest. Elizabeth was in the foreground, shouting and throwing stones at them.

"How'd this get all screwy?"

Natalie turned her head, to find that both Pintel and Ragetti had caught up with her.

"Well, they all want the chest for their own personal scores," she began to explain. "Norrington wants ta use it ta get his position back, my father wants ta use it as leverage ta save his own bloody skin, and Will wants ta stab the beatin' thing inside ta free his father from eternal bindment ta the Dutchman."

"Sad," Pintel commented. "That chest must be worth more than a shiny penny."

"Terrible temptation," Ragetti pointed out.

"So if that temptation was removed, would they stop fightin'?" Natalie asked.

Ragetti shrugged.

"Probably."

Natalie immediately took off, and after exchanging glances of realization, Pintel and Ragetti hurried after her. The young girl grabbed the chest and legged it, passing Elizabeth – who had sat herself down in a huff – on her way into the jungle. Natalie kept on running with the two Pirates chasing her, until to her utter surprise, Elizabeth appeared in front of her, panting and looking considerably angry. With Elizabeth in front of her and the two idiots behind her, Natalie was trapped.

Suddenly, a huge wheel rolled on past, with Will and Norrington fighting on top of it, and Jack running along beside it. Natalie noticed Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti staring at it in confusion, and used this to her advantage; just like her father had done in Port Royal only a year ago, she slipped away unnoticed.

She hurried through the jungle, until someone landed on top of her.

"Hey, watch it!" Natalie snapped, before realizing that it had been her father who had fallen on top of her. "Oh, it's ye. Seriously, why are people apearin' out of no where all of a sudden?"

Jack just rolled his eyes, before noticing the chest lying on the ground.

"What a good girl you are!" he exclaimed. "You've brought your old man the chest!"

Natalie was about to inform him that it wasn't actually for him, but it was already too late. Jack had shoved the key in and opened it, to reveal a still beating heart inside.

"Yuck," Natalie exclaimed.

The two Sparrows heard voices, and when they looked up, they saw Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti hurrying towards them, fighting off the crewmen of Davy Jones. Jack hurriedly stuffed the heart into his shirt, slammed the chest shut, and grabbed hold of his daughter's hand.

"Come on, luv!" he said, dragging her through the jungle.

Despite being angry at him, Natalie didn't protest against his actions. She would rather go with him than get slain by fish people.

* * *

Jack and Natalie splashed back to the longboat, and once there, Jack took out the heart and stuffed it inside his jar of dirt.

"Look out!" Natalie screamed.

Jack turned, and his eyes widened when he saw a fish crewman standing above him, his sword drawn. But Natalie took out her own sword and blocked the attack.

"Hey, I just saved yer life!" she realized. "And here I am, about ta do it again!"

She swung her sword at another crewman who had appeared, as Jack picked up one of the ores from the longboat and fought off the first one. Soon, Elizabeth and the two idiots arrived on the scene, followed by the wheel with Will and Norrington still on it. Natalie fought with all her might, until she and the rest were backed up against the longboat.

"We're not getting out of this," Elizabeth realized.

"Not with the chest," Norrington stated, turning and removing the chest from the boat. "Into the boat!"

"You're mad!"

"Don't wait for me!"

Norrington ran, and the crew of the Dutchman followed.

"I say we respect his final wish," Jack decided.

"Aye!" Pintel agreed, before they all climbed into the longboat and hurriedly rowed away.

* * *

Please review!


	24. All Goes Wrong

Sorry for the wait. I was more focussed around my Alice In Wonderland stories, since I still haven't got over seeing the movie. I really wanna see it again, if I ever get the chance. But anyway, here comes the sad chapter.

* * *

All Goes Wrong

Natalie thought that she was going to die.

After they had got back to the _Pearl_, the _Dutchman_ had surfaced next to them, and after seeing Jack with the jar of dirt, Davy Jones had ordered the cannons to be fired at them. The _Black Pearl_ had narrowly escaped, and to make things worse, the jar had dropped and smashed, revealing that the heart was no longer in there. And that's when the Kraken attacked.

Hiding in the Captain's Cabin, Natalie pinned herself flat against the cabin wall, so as not to get caught by the tentacles of the Kraken. How did things go so wrong? Why had her father left them all here to die? Natalie had seen the little longboat rowing away from the ship, and it had only added more heat to the anger she felt against him. He was just a selfish Pirate to her now, and that was how it was going to stay.

* * *

Jack kept on rowing, trying to push himself to go faster, but something was stopping him. His eyes still fixed upon the _Pearl_, he watched as it lurched helplessly back and forwards, it's crew yelling in fright as the Kraken continued to attack it. He looked over his shoulder at the island in the distance, then back at the ship again. He couldn't just run away. He was tired of running away. But then again, he wanted to live. It was hard.

Saving himself sounded like the best option, but that would mean leaving behind the _Pearl_, his crew...and his daughter.

With a sigh, Jack opened up his compass, and watched the needle spin round.

* * *

Back on the ship, Natalie kept herself pinned against the wall as the tentacles of the Kraken raided Jack's cabin, knocking over his desk, chairs and various maps. Pintel and Ragetti hurried in, just as Elizabeth stood in the doorway with a musket aimed at the swinging barrels high above the deck. But of course, the Kraken grabbed hold of her foot and dragged her away.

Thinking fast, Pintel and Ragetti brought down the axe upon the tentacle, and Natalie wasn't sure if she should be happy or disappointed; it was Elizabeth, after all, who ruined the relationship between Jack and his daughter. Elizabeth hurried out of the cabin and up the stairs to the helm, and Natalie followed. She looked up, just in time to see her father aiming the musket, before a shot rang out, followed by an explosion.

Natalie was sent crashing to the deck, and kept her head down as bits of burning Kraken rained all around her. She soon stood up again, and looked over the side at the water with Gibbs.

"Did we kill it?" she asked the first mate.

"No," he answered gravely. "We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet; Captain, orders?"

"Abandon ship, into the longboat," Jack replied, as he walked down from the helm with Elizabeth behind him.

"Jack," Gibbs said. "The _Pearl_?"

Natalie saw the sad look on her father's face, and for a moment, she felt sympathetic for him.

"She's only a ship, mate," he said.

"He's right, we have to head for land," Elizabeth agreed.

"That's a lot of open water," Pintel pointed out.

"That's a lot of water," Ragetti echoed.

"We'll have to try," Will decided. "We can make our escape as it takes down the _Pearl_."

The crew went to climb into the longboat. Natalie did too, but was stopped by her father as he pulled her aside into his cabin.

"Natalie, if we don't make it out of this-"

But Natalie just yanked her arm out of his grasp, whipping round to face him.

"What?" she asked him. "What do ye wanna tell me? What are ye not tellin' me?"

"Nat-"

"Are ye gonna tell me about ye and Elizabeth?" she continued. "Don't try and deny it; I saw ye two nearly kissing earlier today. And what I wanna know is how could ye betray Mum like that?"

"Nat, please-"

"And that wasn't the only thing I saw," she continued. "I saw ye makin' an escape while the Kraken attacked the _Pearl_! And why was it attacking in the first place? Oh yeah, it was after _ye_!"

"Nat, please, not another word," Jack told her.

"How about three," Natalie said, before she shouted something which struck such a hard cord in Jack, that it stayed with him for the rest of his life. "I HATE YOU!"

She stormed out of the broken cabin, past Elizabeth, and climbed into the longboat without a word spoken. She refused to help as many items were loaded into the longboat, and kept her head down as everyone else climbed in. Elizabeth came last, but there was no sign of Jack.

"Where's Jack?" Will asked.

"He decided to stay behind and give us a chance."

Natalie looked up. Elizabeth's face looked pale, and she was clearly telling the truth. Jack wasn't coming with them. Natalie looked up at the ship, but she could not see Jack anywhere. Was he really staying behind? Was he really doing it just to give them a chance to get away? To give her a chance to get away?

"GO!" Elizabeth ordered.

Marty let go of the rope, and Pintel and Ragetti began to row away. Natalie looked between them all; each member of the longboat all wore blank looks, and all seemed to be accepting the fact that Jack was staying behind. Natalie snapped her head back up to the ship, trying to catch even a glance of her father. But he still wasn't there. In one, sudden moment, all her hate seemed to drain away. If he was doing this for them, then he can't be the selfish Pirate she thought he was.

She didn't hate him any more. He was her father; how could she hate him?

"W-wait, w-we can't-" she stammered.

Everyone turned to look at her, confused. Still the same blank looks of acceptance. Gazing at them, Natalie realized that she wasn't going to get any help from them whatsoever. She leapt up and made an attempt to jump into the water and swim back to the _Pearl_, but Will grabbed her before she did.

"NO! Let go of me! I have ta tell 'im I'm sorry!" Natalie screamed.

"I can't let you, you'll be killed!" Will told her.

But Natalie still struggled.

"Dad!" she cried out, hoping that he could hear her. "Dad! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that I hated ye! I don't hate ye! Ye're my dad, and I can never hate ye! Please! Please jump and come with us!"

But he still didn't appear. So in the end, Natalie gave in and allowed Will to comfort her as she cried into his shoulder. She was alone in the world now. Her mother was dead. Her father was dead. No one, but the friends still sitting in the longboat with her.

And to make things worse, Natalie could hear the _Black Pearl_ screaming.

* * *

Sorry if that seems a bit rushed, and sorry for skipping out scenes in the beginning. I just wanted to get straight to the point. Please review.


	25. Orphan

I hope that people are satisfied with this chapter.

* * *

Orphan

The atmosphere hung heavily upon the remaining members of the _Black Pearl_'s crew, as they sat in Tia Dalma's shack and silently debated over what to do next. Tia Dalma herself came round with a tray full of drinks, and the first person she stopped in front of was Natalie.

"For your sorrow," she told the young Sparrow girl.

But Natalie just turned away, refusing to take one. She clutched the white shell necklace that her father had given her – the only thing she had left of him. Her mother was dead. Her father was dead. She was now an orphan, and had to find her own way in the world. And the worst of it was, that the last thing she had said to both her parents had been that she hated them. But she couldn't take back what she had said, because it was too late.

After taking a mug from the tray, Elizabeth glanced over at where Natalie sat, tears rolling down the young girl's face. It finally dawned upon Elizabeth the full extent of what she had done. Not only had she killed a close friend, but she had deprived Natalie of a father. She couldn't even bare to look at her, the guilt already eating away at her insides.

"It's a shame," Tia Dalma told Will. "If you had been taken down with the _Pearl_, you coulda captured the Devil and set free your father's soul."

"Does it matter?" Will questioned. "The _Pearl_'s gone...along with it's Captain."

Natalie flinched as Will threw his dagger into the table once more.

"Aye, and already the world seems a bit less bright," Gibbs commented. "He fooled us all, right to the end. But I guess that honest streak finally won out. To Jack Sparrow!"

"Never known a man like Cap'n Jack!" Ragetti stammered.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was!" Pintel sniffed.

"He was a good man," Elizabeth said.

"And a good father," Natalie added. "If there was ever a way ta bring 'im back, I would do it."

"Would you, really?" Tia Dalma asked. "Would you even sail to the ends of the Earth, and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious_ Pearl_?"

Natalie finally looked up. Was Tia Dalma saying that...he can be brought back?

"Yes!" she cried, leaping up out of her seat. "I'll do anything! Anything ta bring him back!"

"Aye, I'm with the lass on this one," Gibbs agreed.

The rest of the crew agreed, and for the first time since her father had died, Natalie felt hope rise up in her chest.

"All right," Tia Dalma said. "But if you want to brave the weird, and haunted shores at world's end, then, you will need a Captain, who knows those waters."

Footsteps descended down the stairs, and the crew turned to look who it was. But their eyes went wide.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" a grinning Barbossa asked, before he took a bite out of his apple.

* * *

Off to World's end we go! Yes, I will be continuing into AWE with this story, like I did with the transition between COTBP and DMC. Please review!


	26. Singapore

Sorry for the wait.

* * *

Singapore

It was her job to make sure that nothing went wrong.

Being the daughter of the sneaky and sly Jack Sparrow and the determined and headstrong Anamaria had it's advantages, and this was just one of them. Silent as a mouse, Natalie crept round the back of Sao Feng's bath house were a lone guard stood on look-out; quite frail, and considerably small for a grown man. It was clear that the Singapore Pirate Lord wasn't expecting an attack from around the back.

It had been six whole months since her father's death, and Natalie was more determined than ever to bring him back. She had vowed to herself that she would, and she wasn't one to break any vows she made. She silently crept up on the guard, and when he least expected it, she slapped her hand across his mouth and pulled him backwards into the shadows. She had him tied up within minutes.

"My regards," she told him, giving him a mock salute.

Natalie went to walk inside, before realizing something that her father had once told her. Don't make your attack obvious; it'll be the first thing they expect, and there's no fun in it whatsoever. So Natalie decided to use the crates just inside the doorway to climb up onto the beams that held up the ceiling. She made her way along them, until she finally stood above the main bath house. She could see Sao Feng standing below, and in front of him, stood Barbossa and Elizabeth. Will was being held captive at the other end of the room, and the sight made Natalie roll her eyes; she knew that the stupid whelp would get caught.

"The song has been sung," Barbossa was saying. "The time is upon us. We must gather the Brethren Court. As one of the nine Pirate Lords, you must honour the call."

"More steam," Sao Feng ordered, annoyed.

One of his servants pulled on a rope. Nothing happened, which made Natalie place her head in her hands in an annoyed way. She knew that the others had made it below, but if they didn't get any steam up soon, the whole plan would crumble to pieces.

"More steam!" Sao Feng repeated angrily.

The servant pulled again, and this time, steam rose into the room. Natalie let out a sigh of relief. The conversation below continued on and she listened carefully, even when Elizabeth made an outburst against the Pirate Lord. He moved closer to her once she had finished.

"Elizabeth Swann, there is more to you that meets the eye, isn't there?" he said, before turning back to Barbossa. "But I cannot help but notice that _you_ have failed to answer my question; what is it you seek in Davy Jones' Locker?"

"Jack Sparrow," Will replied immediately.

Natalie flinched as her father's name was spoken. The women on either side of Sao Feng giggled.

"He's one of the Pirate Lords," Will continued.

Sao Feng didn't look happy at all. Natalie remembered her father telling her about his encounter with Sao Feng, and from what he had told her, they hadn't left on good terms.

"The only reason...I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead," he said angrily, "is so I can send him back myself!"

He kicked a nearby barrel, making Natalie flinch.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight," Barbossa explained. "He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died, so we must go and get it back."

There was a tense pause.

"So," Sao Feng said, "you admit, that you have deceived me. Weapons!"

Immediately, hidden men leapt out of their barrels with swords drawn, letting out their own unique battle cries.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honourable!" Barbossa pleaded.

Suddenly, four swords shot through the floor boards, and both Barbossa and Elizabeth caught them in mid air. The crew were below, and everyone was ready to fight.

And that was the opportune moment that Natalie had been waiting for.

Sword drawn, she leapt down from the beams and landed next to Barbossa, gaining confused stares from everyone present. Barbossa looked above him, wondering how on earth she was able to get up there; but then again, he realized, she _was_ the daughter of Jack Sparrow.

"Well," Sao Feng began, "if it's not the Baby Sparrow, come to join us."

"I'm no baby!" Natalie snapped. "I'm just...short, for my age."

Sao Feng sneered, before he grabbed hold of one of the men and held a sword at his throat.

"Drop your weapons, or I kill the man!" he yelled.

Barbossa turned to Will, then back to Sao Feng.

"Kill him, he's not our man," he said.

Sao Feng looked at the man in confusion.

"Well if he's not with you, and he's not with us, then who's he with?" Will realized.

Suddenly, East India Trading Company soldiers burst into the room, and a huge fight broke out. It spilled out onto the streets and across the harbour, and finally came to a stop when a fireworks storage room exploded. Natalie ran to join the others.

"You have the charts?" Barbossa asked Will.

"And better yet," Will said, throwing him the charts. "A ship and a crew."

"Where's Sao Feng?" Elizabeth asked.

"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove," Will replied, before the Singapore Pirates led them all to an old ship in the corner of the harbour.

* * *

Sorry it was short. Please review.


	27. The Journey

AMoRPoP: Believe me, I did try to write the battle scene, but it just didn't sound right whenever I did. And I'm only ever good at writing those scenes if my character had a big part to play in it, which Natalie didn't. So it would have just been a repeat of the film. Hopefully this chapter will be better.

* * *

The Journey

Days turned into weeks, and soon, the ship they had escaped in from Singapore was sailing through Antarctic waters. Ice caps floated all around them, and on board, the crew were shivering, and trying their best to keep warm. Growing up in Tortuga, Natalie had learnt many things from sailors she had talked with, one of them being that when cold, people need to huddle together to keep warm. It was why she was huddled up with Pintel and Ragetti.

"No one said anything about cold," Pintel muttered angrily.

"Would ye have come if they had?" Natalie resorted, which shut him up immediately.

"I'm sure there must be a good reason for our suffering," Ragetti spoke up.

"There is," Natalie answered him. "We need ta rescue me father from the Locker. If we suffer, it's for a good cause."

"Ya see, that's what I don't get," Pintel said. "Why don't that obeah woman just bring Jack back the same way she brought back Barbossa?"

"Because Barbossa was only dead."

The three of them looked up, to find Tia Dalma standing not fat from them, shivering just as much as they were. Only it didn't seem to bother her that much.

"Jack Sparrow is taken," she continued, "body and soul, to a place not of dead, but punishment; the worst fate person can bring upon himself. Stretching on forever. That's what awaits at Davy Jones' Locker."

She walked away, and Natalie felt a chill run down her spine, but it was not from the cold. She had not heard much about Davy Jones' Locker, but she had heard enough to know that it was a feared place, in which Davy Jones sent people if they angered him. But just hearing that description got her worried. There were probably many things which her father deserved, but eternal punishment wasn't one of them. It made her even more determined to rescue him.

"Yep, I knew there was a good reason," Ragetti said.

Natalie rolled her eyes and got up, figuring that the more she moved around, the warmer she would be. Her little stroll took her up to where the rudder was, where Will was showing the charts to Barbossa.

"Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?" Will was asking.

_Since when have we called him Captain?_ Natalie thought. She only ever sailed under one Captain, and that was Jack.

"Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?" the elderly Captain asked Gibbs, who was stood over by the railings.

"Aye, I reckon I've seen my fair share," he began to answer. "At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without ever seeing it, some claim to have seen it who ain't. And some say-"

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Pintel piped up, gaining an angry glare from Gibbs. "Sorry."

"But what's that got ta do with findin' me dad?" Natalie asked. "So a green flash will shoot up inta the sky; how does that 'elp us?"

Barbossa just grinned at her; a grin which had given Natalie nightmares for the week after the Aztec Gold incident.

"Trust me, young Miss Sparrow," he told her, "it's not getting to the land of the dead that's the problem..."

He sat back down and turned the rudder.

"It's getting back."

* * *

After sailing through a dark tunnel, the crew crossed into an entirely different realm altogether, one which Gibbs referred to as the realm between the living and the dead. Night had fallen, and thousands of stars shone down on the sea and ship, reflecting off the water like a perfect mirror image, only disturbed by the ripples coming from the ship. Natalie was sat up on the roof above the small cabin, her legs dangling down as she gazed up into the night sky.

It was Gibbs who spotted her up there.

"Lass?" he enquired. "Are ye all right?"

Natalie let out a sigh.

"Yeah, if ye define 'all right' as in deep sorrow over losing both a father and a mother," she replied.

"I was just asking," Gibbs said, raising his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry, it's just," Natalie began again, "what if we don't rescue him. What if I never see him again? The last thing I ever said ta him was that I hated him, and it was a complete lie."

Gibbs sighed.

"Sometimes, we don't say what we mean, and we never get to make things right again," Gibbs told her. "But you're one of the lucky ones; we _will_ rescue Jack. You can say you're sorry and he'll forgive you."

"How do ye know?"

"I know Jack," Gibbs explained. "I know when he acts out of character, and whenever it comes to ye, he'll pretty much do anything ta keep you safe."

Natalie frowned, but when she looked down, Gibbs had disappeared inside. She let out a sigh. Maybe Gibbs was right. After all, Jack had saved her from getting raped in Tortuga. She looked out over the water, but her eyebrows knotted together when she saw something in the mist. Will hurried on by below, and Natalie leapt down and ran after him.

"Barbossa, ahead!" Will yelled.

"Aye, we're good and lost now!" Barbossa agreed.

Natalie paused. Lost? Well, this was just great!

"Lost?" Elizabeth echoed.

"For certain ye have ta be lost ta find the places that can't be found, elseways everyone will know where it is," Barbossa explained.

"Ye know, that actually makes sense," Natalie agreed.

Everyone gave her a surprised look.

"What?" Natalie questioned. "Me dad used ta say senseless things all the time, I'm used to it."

"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs realized.

"Aye!" Barbossa agreed.

"To stations!" Will cried out. "Gather way! Keep her trim!"

"NO!" Natalie cried, and everyone turned to her again. "This is the only way over! If we're ever gonna rescue Dad, then we need ta go straight over!"

"Straight over where?" Ragetti asked.

Natalie didn't answer, but instead, pointed a finger ahead of her. Everyone turned to look, and directly in front of them, was a giant waterfall.

"How do ye know all this?" Pintel asked her.

"It's called common sense," Natalie replied. "I got it from Mum, and mixed in with me dad's inaneness, equals clever Pirate. At least, I think it does."

The ship was taken by the current, and soon, was hanging over the edge. Everyone grabbed hold of something, and Barbossa's insane laugh echoed all around and the ship fell right over the edge.

* * *

Please review!


	28. Arrival

The reunion between Jack and Natalie! YAY! And not only that, but Nat learns the real reason how her father died...

* * *

Arrival

All Natalie could remember from the fall was darkness, and the next thing that she knew, she was swimming and it was daylight. She followed everyone else, and one by one, the travellers scrambled up the beach of Davy Jones' Locker. They looked around for any signs of life.

"Bit empty, don't ye think?" Natalie commented. "I'd 'ave thought that this place would be filled with people who Davy hated."

"I imagined a few more people," Gibbs agreed. "But this truly is a god-forsaken place."

"I don't see Jack," Elizabeth observed.

Natalie began to panic. What if all their efforts were for nothing? What if he wasn't here after all, and had passed over into the next life?

"He's here," Barbossa spoke up, giving her reassurance for once. "Davy Jones never once gave up what he took."

"And does it matter?" Will told him bitterly. "We're trapped here by your doing, no different than Jack."

"Then how else were we 'posed ta get 'ere then, eh?" Natalie pointed out. "Parashoot down the waterfall?"

Will didn't have an answer to this, but instead, turned his attention to Tia Dalma. The Voodoo woman was stroking a white crab in her hand, and more were disappearing beneath her skirt.

"Witty Jack, is closer than you t'ink," she stated, turning towards the sand dunes.

And there, rising up over one of them, was the _Black Pearl_. Of course, everyone was surprised by this sudden – and unusual – appearance by the ship, and were even more surprised to see Jack standing on top of the mast like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Natalie felt a smile creep across her face as the ship descended into the water. Her father was here. Everything was all right. She would apologize, they would go home, and everything would be OK again. Of course, she knew that this wasn't possible, since there was still Beckett and the squid-face himself to deal with, but getting her father back was a start.

"Slap me thrice and hand me to me mama," Gibbs commented. "It's Jack!"

He and the crew ran to greet their Captain, but Natalie overtook them and was way out in front by the time she reached her father.

"Dad!" she cried happily.

Jack paused, his eyes scanning Natalie as if he was trying to remember who she was. But Natalie didn't see this. She had already attacked her father's middle in a hug, the tears she had been building up for the past few months finally draining from her eyes.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" she cried into his coat. "I don't hate ye! I could never hate ye! Ye're me father, and even though we were never really that close, I can never hate ye!"

Jack was unsure how to react. At first, he thought that she was just an illusion, but when he felt her warm body and her wet tears, he realized that she was real. She had come to rescue him, and she was sorry for what she had said. Jack placed a hesitant arm around her shoulder, not wanting to hug her tightly like he wanted to because he could see the crew running towards him, and he didn't want them to see. But he did want to wind them up.

"It's OK," he told his daughter softly. "It's fine. We'll talk properly later, but right now, why don't we wind up the crew a bit?"

Natalie smiled as she sniffed away her tears, and taking this as a yes, Jack walked towards the crew.

"Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"Mr Gibbs!"

"Aye, Cap'n?"

"I thought so," Jack began. "I trust that you can account for your actions, then?"

"Sir?"

"There has been a perpetulant and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel," Jack told him. "Why? Why is that, sir?"

Natalie held back her laughter at the utterly confused look upon Gibbs' face.

"Jack Sparrow," Barbossa spoke up.

Jack turned to him, and hiding his surprise, continued with his little joke.

"Ah, Hector!" he exclaimed. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye, Isla de Muerta, ye remember?" Barbossa reminded him. "Ya shot me."

"No I didn't."

He moved along the line to continue.

"Tia Dalma, out and about, eh?" he commented in the face of Tia Dalma. "You add an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium."

"He thinks we're a hallucination," Will said flatly.

At this, Jack turned to him, and decided to wind up the whelp a little bit.

"William, tell me something," he began. "Have you come because you need my help to save a distressing damsel, or damsel in distress; either one?"

"No."

"Then you wouldn't be here, would you?" Jack replied to this. "So you can't be here. QED: You're not really here."

Natalie couldn't take it any longer. That final line made her erupt into a state of uncontrollable laughter, almost tumbling onto the sand trying to contain it. Everyone gave her strange looks, knowing that Jack's behaviour wasn't _that_ funny, while Jack just closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"You're useless at this sort of thing, Nat," Jack told her.

"I'm sorry, but the looks on everyone's faces were just so funny," Natalie chocked out between her laughter, and she stopped when she saw the confused looks continuing. "Ye all don't get it, do ye? He was havin' ye all on."

The confused stares continued.

"You goons have no sense of humour," Jack concluded.

"We've come to rescue you!"

Jack turned, and when he saw that it was Elizabeth who had spoken, a strange look flashed across his face. But he regained his posture and continued.

"Have you now?" he questioned in a sarcastic way. "Well, that's very kind of you. But it seems to me that since I possess a ship and you don't, you lot are the ones in need of rescuing. And I'm not sure I'm in the mood to rescue anyone besides my daughter."

Natalie felt that this was a little harsh; sure, maybe they could leave behind Elizabeth and Barbossa, but the others didn't really deserve it.

"I see my ship, right there," Barbossa said, pointing out towards the _Black Pearl_.

"Since when has that been yer ship?" Natalie questioned. "I don't recall ye ever bein' Captain of it."

"Which ship are we talking about?" Jack asked, shading his eyes as he gazed out to sea. "The only ship I can see is the _Pearl_, and that's my ship."

"Jack, Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones. He controls the _Flying Dutchman_."

"He's taking over the seas!"

"The song has already been sung. The Brethren Court is called."

And Jack being Jack, had one simple answer to all of these.

"Leave you people alone for a minute, and what happens? Everything's gone to pot!"

"Aye, Jack!" Gibbs told him. "The world needs ya back!"

"And you need a crew," Will pointed out.

"Why should I sail with any of you?" Jack questioned. "Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, and one of you succeeded."

And with that, he looked directly at Elizabeth, as did everyone else. Natalie included. Why was everyone looking at her? She couldn't have...

"Oh, she's not told you," Jack said flatly. "Well, you'll have loads to talk about while you're here."

Natalie's eyes went wide. The guilty look on her face, her silence for these past few months. It all made sense; she had killed Jack. She had caused Natalie all that pain. If it wasn't for her, then none of this would ever have happened.

"Ye..." Natalie said darkly. "Ye were the one who killed him. How...how _COULD_ YE! I've been sufferin' all these months, blamin' meself for it, and it could 'ave all been avoided if _ye_ hadn't killed him! Ye...ye..."

But she didn't finish. With a cry of anger, Natalie tried to throw herself at Elizabeth. But Jack grabbed her first and pulled her back.

"Nat! Nat, calm down!" he told his daughter. "Look, I'm leaving her and her whelp of a boyfriend here, so you don't have to worry."

Natalie sent Elizabeth a glare, before sighing.

"Fine!"

Jack picked out the rest of his crew, including the Singapore Pirates, before telling everyone to make sail. But his compass just spun around in one big circle.

"Which way are ye going, Jack?" Barbossa asked, his monkey screeching on his shoulder.

Jack saw the charts in his hands, so reluctantly allowed the rest of them on board. Once they were sailing away, Jack pulled Natalie into his cabin and slammed the door shut.

"Dad, what are we doin' in here?" his daughter asked.

"Well, I don't want a fight starting out between you and the murderess," Jack told her. "And secondly-"

He pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you so much," he whispered softly into her ear.

Natalie allowed a tear to escape her eye as she hugged him back.

"I missed ye too, Dad."

* * *

Please review!


	29. Funny Captains

Sorry that this chapter is short, but I just think that the Captain Battle deserved it's own chapter.

* * *

Funny Captains

"Trim those sails!"

"Trim those sails!"

Natalie frowned and looked up. There was her father and Barbossa, both trying to shout commands; Barbossa was ahead, and Jack was following the older Captain like a lost dog.

"Slack windward brace and sheet!"

"Slack windward brace and sheet!"

The girl rolled her eyes. She knew that this would happen, and just shook her head at them.

"Haul the pennant line!"

"Haul the pennant line!"

"What _are_ ye doing?" Barbossa asked Jack.

"What are _you_ doing?" Jack asked.

"No, what _are_ ye doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?"

"No, what _are_ ye doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?"

Sighing, Natalie threw down the ropes that she was tying and wandered over to them.

"Captain gives orders on the ship!" Jack pointed out.

"The Captain of this ship _is_ giving orders!" Barbossa resorted.

"My ship, makes me Captain!"

"They'd be my charts!"

"Well, that just makes you...chart man!"

Natalie was about to shout at them, telling them to shut up, but someone else beat her to it.

"Stow it! The both of ya! That's an order! UNDERSTAND!" Pintel shouted at them.

Both Jack and Barbossa (as well as everyone in hearing distance) turned to Pintel with a confused expression.

"Yeah, I'm with him on this one," Natalie admitted, jerking her thumb at him. "We need ta get outta 'ere, and ye two arguin' ain't helpin' one bit."

But neither of them listened. They just pushed past both her and Pintel in a race to get up to the helm, and knowing that this only meant disaster, Natalie followed them. Barbossa opened his spyglass to look through it, and deciding to copy, Jack went to open his. But crept sheepishly away when he realized that his spyglass was smaller than Barbossa's.

Natalie just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Later that night, Natalie was up by the helm, leaning on the railings and gazing out over the dark sea around the ship. All was quiet, and she was enjoying the peace considerably. That is, until she heard loud footsteps coming her way, which sounded like stampeding buffalo. Turning her head, she saw Barbossa hurrying up one flight of stairs and Jack hurrying up the other. She rolled her eyes.

"Here we go again," she muttered to herself.

In a way, it was amusing, and maybe if they weren't trapped in the Land of the Dead she would find the whole thing funny. But the fact that they needed to get out kept her serious. Cotton, who was steering, barely had enough time to get out of the way as the two Captains stopped by the helm, looking ahead of them. Barbossa turned the wheel slightly, before taking his hand off again. Jack turned the wheel back towards him again, and took his hand off. Barbossa glanced over, before turning the wheel back, but this time keeping his hand firmly on it. Jack tried to turn the wheel back towards him again, but found that he couldn't. Soon, both men were tugging on the wheel, Jack at one point climbing up on top of it.

Natalie shook her head and turned back to the water, but what she saw made her gasp in horror and leap backwards, letting out a scream. At the sound of his daughter's scream, Jack immediately let got of the helm, causing Barbossa to stumble backwards unexpectedly.

"Luv, what's wrong?" Jack asked, hurrying over to her.

Natalie just wordlessly pointed at the sea, for there were dead people passing in boats.

* * *

Please review!


	30. Elizabeth's Father

Enjoy!

* * *

Elizabeth's Father

Each boat contained one person, apart from one with twin girls about Natalie's age sitting in it. They were drifting past the _Black Pearl_, silent as ghosts, and none of them seemed to acknowledge the ship sailing in the other direction. Natalie walked down onto the main deck, resting her elbows onto the railings as she watched the boats go past them. She wondered if her mother had taken this same route when she died.

Elizabeth came and stood by her side, her face brightening up, and forming itself into a smile. Natalie glared at her and was about to shove her as far away as possible, but then she spotted what had made the older girl so happy. It was a well dressed man wearing a wig, his boat drifting reasonably close to the ship.

"That's my father, we've made it back!" Elizabeth exclaimed happily. "Father! Father, over here!"

Natalie looked to Elizabeth, then back at the man who must be her father. How could she not know? Natalie was younger, and even _she_ knew that they were still in the Land of the Dead.

"Elizabeth," Jack told her, "we're not back."

Elizabeth's face immediately fell, and she turned back to her father's boat with a look of horror.

"Father!"

This time, he heard her, so turned his head towards the _Black Pearl_. Natalie could see that his eyes were dull and blank, but they also had a look of...acceptance.

"Elizabeth," he began, "are you dead?"

Elizabeth shook her head, following her father's boat as it continued to drift past them.

"I think I am," he said gravely.

"No, you can't be!"

"There was this chest, you see," he began to explain. "It's odd. At the time it seemed so important."

"Come aboard!"

"And the heart," he continued, "I learnt that if you stabbed the heart, yours must take it's place, and you will sail the seas for eternity. The _Dutchman_ must always have a Captain. A silly thing to die for."

Natalie had been so absorbed in what he was saying, that she hadn't even noticed Elizabeth following the boat, but acknowledged it when she heard her cry out again.

"Someone, cast a line!" Elizabeth ordered.

Marty began fiddling with the ropes, but he wasn't moving fast enough, and Elizabeth ended up snatching the ropes from him. She threw the ropes out so that they landed on her father's boat.

"Take the line!" she told him.

But her father didn't move. He just sat there motionless, staring up at his daughter with proud eyes.

"I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth."

"Father, take the line!"

Her father still didn't move, and the line slipped from his boat. Elizabeth raced after him in one final attempt to save him.

"She must not leave the ship!" Tia Dalma cried.

Everyone but Jack and Natalie ran after her. Natalie was watching Elizabeth, her eyes full of sadness and sympathy. Hours ago she had been angry at this woman, but seeing her crying out for her father made her remember her own feelings. The feelings she had felt when her mother had fallen overboard during that storm...and when her own father had been take by the Kraken. She had been crying out like her too, begging for her father to come back as the giant beast had brought down the _Black Pearl_ and her father with it. The memories flashed across her eyes in the fraction of a second, and it wasn't long before her whole vision blurred up, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to sniff them away again. A warm hand placed itself on her shoulder, and Natalie looked up to see her father. Jack gave her a look of sympathy which he had only ever let his daughter see.

"Don't worry," he told her in a soft voice. "That's not gonna happen again."

Natalie smiled weakly up at him, before she allowed him to pull her into a warm embrace.

* * *

So the chapter was short, but it was emotional, so it needed to be short. It wouldn't have really worked if I added the Up Is Down scene on the end. Please review!


	31. Up is Down

Enjoy!

* * *

Up Is Down

The next day was hot, and the crew spent most of the day aimlessly drifting around the endless seas. And by sunset, most of the crew laid sprawled across the deck, in a way which made them look like they were dying. Jack sat in front of the charts, trying to figure out a way to get home; Barbossa stood near the helm, looking out to sea; and Elizabeth sat on the steps, still mourning over her father's death. Natalie stood by the railings with Will and Tia Dalma.

"If we cannot escape these doldrums, before night, I fear we will sail on trackless seas. Doomed to roam the reach between worlds...forever," she said.

Natalie just banged her head on the railings.

"And with no water, forever looks to be arriving a might too soon," Gibbs added, walking over to them.

"The why doesn't he _do_ something?" Will demanded, looking up at Barbossa.

"Because in case ye forgot, Will, he ain't a real Cap'n," Natalie pointed out. "Me dad's the only _real_ Cap'n around 'ere, and he's doin' all he can ta get us out of 'ere."

She pointed over to where Jack was sat in front of the charts. He appeared to be talking to himself, until suddenly, he shot up from his seat.

"What's that?" he cried out.

Natalie, Will and Gibbs followed him over to where he was looking, hanging over the railings to see. But they could see nothing, and this puzzled them.

"What _is_ that?" he asked again. "I don't know? What do ye think?"

He had turned to address Natalie, but his daughter just shrugged.

"Where?" Gibbs asked.

"There!"

Jack then turned, and with a noise of surprise, hurried over to the other side. By that time, Tia, Marty and a few others had joined them in their mad quest, and even Elizabeth decided to stop her mourning to join in.

"What is it?" she asked.

Jack made a weird noise, and hurried back over to the other side. Natalie frowned; she had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but followed anyway. Her father might have been insane, but she had found in the past that his insane ideas worked, so there was no reason for this one _not_ to work, whatever it was. It was then that she noticed the ship rocking.

"He's rocking the ship?" Pintel said in confusion.

"We're rocking the ship!" Gibbs cried happily.

"Aye, he's onto it!" Barbossa realized.

The whole crew continued to run back and forth across the deck, the boat rocking further and further each time. As the boat began to tip further, it became more difficult to run to each side. One unfortunate sailor didn't make it in time, and ended up rolling off the ship. They ran to the other side one last time, before grabbing onto the railings. As the ship began to tip, their legs left the deck and were hanging. Natalie's hand began to slip, but Jack saw and slammed his down on top of hers to hold her in place.

"Now up...is down," Jack commented, as the ship crashed into the water.

Natalie held her breath and screwed her eyes shut, not daring to look. The whole experience lasted for what seemed like an eternity, before suddenly, there was a rushing noise from below them. And before anyone knew it, the ship rose back onto the surface, and everyone fell to the deck.

Everyone coughed up the water they had swallowed, hauling themselves back up again with aching muscles. As Jack helped Natalie up, the young girl noticed the two idiots, Pintel and Ragetti, tied to the mast upside down. She couldn't help but laugh at them.

"We're back!" Gibbs exclaimed happily.

"There's the sunrise," Elizabeth observed, gazing off into the distance.

Barbossa watched it silently, before he turned and aimed his pistol at Jack. Natalie, Will, Gibbs and Elizabeth immediately pointed theirs at him. Jack took out two of his pistols and pointed one each at Will and Elizabeth. The two of them did the same at him, and Natalie pointed her pistol at Elizabeth whilst Gibbs pointed his other one at Will, and Barbossa pointed another one at Gibbs. The cycle was completed by the monkey pointing a pistol at the parrot.

At first, they laughed at the irony of the situation, before they became serious again.

"The Brethren Court is a-gathering at Shipwreck Cove, and Jack, you and I are a-going and there'll be no arguing that point," Barbossa stated.

"I _is_ arguing the point," Jack argued. "If there's Pirates a-gathering, I'm pointing my ship the other way."

"The Pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, and you're a Pirate!" Elizabeth told him, pointing both her pistols at him.

Jack turned his other one on her, as did Natalie.

"Fight or not, you're not running, Jack," Will agreed.

Jack turned his pistol back to him, and Natalie pointed hers back at Barbossa when he began to speak.

"If we don't stand together, we'll be hunted down and picked off one by one until you are the only one left," Barbossa stated.

"I quite like the sound of that," Jack said. "Captain Jack Sparrow: the last Pirate."

Natalie cleared her throat.

"And his daughter, Nat," he added. "The last two Pirates left in the entire world."

"Aye," Barbossa said, stepping forwards, "and you'll both be fighting Jones alone; how does that feel to your plan?"

"I'm still working on that," Jack admitted. "But I will not be going back to the Locker, mate."

"Count on that," Natalie added, before pulling the trigger.

But it just clicked. Everyone else did the same with their pistols, and the same happened.

"Wet powder!" Gibbs sighed in annoyance.

Jack glared at Barbossa, and everyone ignored Pintel's helpful suggestion that they could all use the pistols as clubs.

* * *

Please review!


	32. Betrayal

Betrayal

"There's a freshwater spring in this zone," Will said, rolling out the charts and pointing. "We can resupply there, and get back to shooting each other later."

Natalie thought that this was a good plan. The sooner they get supplies, the sooner she can send Elizabeth back to Davy Jones' Locker.

"You lead the shore party, I'll stay with my ship and daughter," Jack decided.

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command," Barbossa stated. "And ye can take yer little runt with you."

Natalie just poked her tongue out at the older man.

"Then why don't you _both_ go ashore, Nat included, and leave the ship in _my_ command?" Will suggested.

Both Jack and Barbossa stared at him.

"Temporarily, of course," Natalie added to satisfy them.

* * *

Several longboats were cast out, lead by Jack and Barbossa. Natalie watched as Pintel and Ragetti's boat, once again, tipped over, and she couldn't help but laugh at them. But she stopped short when she noticed the serious look on her father's face. Turning to see what he was looking at, she gasped. The mighty Kraken was lying on the beach, looking not so mighty as it should have done. Jack slowly began to walk towards it, and Natalie followed, with Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti behind her.

Pintel picked up a long stick and began to poke it.

"You stupid fish!" he yelled at it.

"Actually it's a Cephalopod," Ragetti corrected.

Natalie watched them climb up onto it for a moment, before her attentions turned back to her father. He was staring at the beast's eye, lost in deep thought.

"Ye know, for a sea creature which has probably been alive for hundreds of years, ye'd 'ave thought that it'd be a little more aware of the turning tide," she finally commented.

"I don't think this was an accident, luv," Jack informed her, still lost in thought.

Natalie just frowned at him, as Barbossa arrived on the scene.

"Still thinking of running, Jack?" he asked, coming up next to Jack. "Think ye can outrun the world? Ye know, the problem, with being the last of anything, by and by, there'd be none left at all."

"Sometimes things come back, mate," Jack said. "We're living proof; you and me."

"But it's a gamble of long odds, ain't it?" Barbossa continued. "There's never a guarantee of coming back; but passing on, that's dead certain."

"I'm gonna pretend that I know what this all means," Natalie said aloud, but neither of the men seemed to be paying attention to her.

"Summoning...the Brethren Court then, is it?" Jack asked, turning to Barbossa.

"It's our only hope, lad," Barbossa answered.

"That's just a sad commentary even on itself," Jack said.

"The world used to be a bigger place," Barbossa said.

"The world's still the same," Jack commented. "There's just...less in it."

And with that, he walked away towards the jungle. Natalie hurried to catch up with him, and they continued to walk through the jungle until they arrived in front of the freshwater spring. But someone had beat them to it. A man was lying face down in the water.

"Yeah, I don't think that water is very fresh now," Natalie commented.

Barbossa flicked his hand in the water, tasted in, but spat it back out again.

"Poisoned," he said. "Foul by the body."

Pintel waded into the water and pulled up the man.

"Hey, I know 'im!" he realized. "He was in Singapore!"

Natalie also realized the same thing. It was the man who had been in Sao Feng's bathhouse, who had apparently been on no one's side.

"Squawk! Singapore!" Cotton's parrot squawked.

"Captain!" Marty shouted, pointing to the shore.

Everyone turned, to see Ragetti hurrying over.

"All hands!" he shouted. "We got company!"

He pointed out to sea, where Singapore boat heading straight for the _Black Pearl_. Suddenly, Tai Huang pointed a gun at Natalie's head. Natalie gasped at it, but Jack pushed her behind him, and more were pointed in his direction. One was pointed at Barbossa, and they were soon surrounded.

"He's the Captain!" Jack suddenly pipped up, pointing at Barbossa.

Barbossa just rolled his eyes.


	33. Bargains

Enjoy!

* * *

Bargains

Back on the _Pearl_, the remaining crew had been forced to surrender, and the entire ship was crowded with Singapore men all cheering at their success. The shore party were forced on board, Barbossa first, followed by Jack and Natalie. Natalie was hiding behind her father, whilst Jack decided that it would be best to hide behind Barbossa, biting his nail in worry.

"Sao Feng…" Barbossa exclaimed. "You being here is truly a remarkable...co-incidence."

Sao Feng seemed to pay no attention to Barbossa, and just looked straight past him and directly at Jack.

"Jack Sparrow," he said, "you paid me great insult once."

"That doesn't sound like me…"

CRACK!

Natalie flinched as Sao Feng's fist came in contact with her father's nose, and Jack clicked it back into place again. She felt angry.

"Hey, no one does that ta me dad!" she yelled, launching forwards.

But Jack just grabbed hold of her arm.

"Not now, luv," he told her. "It's best just to call it square."

Will pushed his way through, and Natalie thought it strange how he wasn't tied up.

"Release her!" he demanded, pointing at Elizabeth. "She's not part of the bargain."

"Er, what bargain?" Natalie asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Because from what I can remember, I don't recall us makin' a bargain with Shaol...Fong...whatever his name is."

Sao Feng sent her a glare, before turning to his men with a smug smile.

"You heard Captain Turner," he announced. "Release her."

"_Captain _Turner?" Jack repeated.

Natalie went wide eyed.

"Aye, the rotter led a mutiny against us!" Gibbs pipped up.

"I need the _Pearl_ to free my father, that's the only reason I came on this voyage," Will explained.

"That's it! Ye're on me list of people ta kill before I die, alongside yer girlfriend!" Natalie yelled at him.

"_Captain _Turner needs the _Pearl_," Jack realized, before turning to Elizabeth. "And you felt guilty…"

He turned to Barbossa.

"And you and your Brethren court."

He then addressed the rest of the crew.

"Did nobody come to save me just because they missed me?"

Silence. Wordlessly and without hesitation, Natalie put up her hand. Glancing round, she noticed that she was the only one doing it, but she didn't really care.

"So I stand along," she said, shrugging, her eyes gazing round at everyone. "I don't really care."

Then Marty, Cotton, Pintel and Ragetti raised their hands, as well as Jack the Monkey. Jack smiled at them all.

"I'm standing over there with them," he proclaimed, just about to walk over to them, but was pulled back by Sao Feng

"I'm sorry, Jack," he said, "There is an old friend who wants to see you first…"

"I'm not sure how many visits from old friends I can survive," Jack said hesitantly. "I barely survived my first meeting with my daughter."

"I stamped on 'is foot," Natalie said proudly. "Although we're on better terms now."

Sao Feng just ignored her before pointing over at the approaching ship in the distance. It was Beckett's ship. Jack was taken over to the ship, which got Natalie worrying; Jack had encountered the Company before, and they had departed on not so good terms. Crew from the Company ship came aboard the _Pearl_, which wiped the smile from Sao Feng's face.

"My men are crew enough," he told this man dressed in black, who Natalie didn't recognize nor know.

"Company ship, company crew," he replied.

"We agreed; the _Black Pearl _was to be mine!" Will protested.

"And so it was…" Sao Feng told him, and nodding at two of his men, Will was punched in the stomach.

He and Elizabeth were chained along with the rest of the crew, which made Natalie smirk and send them a glare which said "serves you right!" Her attention, though, turned back to Sao Feng

"Beckett agreed; the _Black Pearl_ was to be mine!" he told the creepy little man.

"Lord Beckett's not about to give up the only ship that can outrun the _Dutchman_, is he?" the little guy replied, before storming away.

Sao Feng scowled after him, and after seeing this, Barbossa saw his chance to take action and escape.

"Shame their not bound to honour the code of the Brethren, isn't it?" he stated. "Because honour is a hard thing to find, nowadays."

"There is no honour in remaining with the losing side, but leaving it for the winning one, is just good business," Sao Feng resorted.

"The losing side, says ye?" Barbossa commented.

"They have the _Dutchman_, and now the _Pearl_!" Sao Feng pointed out. "And what do the Brethren have?"

"We have…Calypso."

A shiver was sent down Natalie's spine. She had heard stories about the Sea Goddess, of course; her mother had told them to her all the time, and about how she had been bound into human form by the first Brethren Court. But who was Barbossa to say that she was on their side? And where was she, exactly.

"Calypso," Sao Feng scoffed. "An old legend."

"No…" Barbossa corrected him. "The Goddess herself, bound in human form. All the power of the sea brought to bear against our enemy. I intend to release her, but for that I need the Court..._all _the Court."

"What are you proposing, Captain?" Sao Feng asked, after a long silence.

"What be you accepting, Captain?" Barbossa asked back.

"The girl," Sao Feng replied. And

He looked directly at Elizabeth. Natalie realized that Sao Feng thought that _she_ was Calypso. Which was stupid; how could _she_ be Calypso? She was a stupid murderess! And if she wasn't, then who was?

"What?" she gasped.

"Elizabeth is not part of any bargain!" Will shouted.

"I vote we give her up!" Natalie pipped up.

"Nat!" Will yelled at her.

"No, Will, she's right," Elizabeth stated, which made Natalie go wide eyed in shock. "If this is what frees us, then 'done'!"

"Elizabeth, they're pirates!" he protested.

Natalie just rolled her eyes at his feeble excuse.

"I have had more than enough experience in dealing with Pirates!" Elizabeth told him, pushing him away to prove her point.

"Then we have an accord?" Barbossa questioned.

So, everyone was unchained, and waited for the opportune moment, as Jack would put it, to attack the Company. Natalie was giving the duty of counting down, since she was the daughter of the man who always knew the opportune moment to strike.

"_Three...two...one..._NOW!"

The entire crew let out a battle cry, and the Company soldiers barely had enough time to react before they found themselves in the middle of a battle. Natalie was in the centre, having the time of her life as she rammed herself into the stomachs of numerous soldiers, for they had already gone into the shock of seeing a girl her age fighting. Cannons exploded beneath as the _Pearl_ fought against the Company ship, and when they saw that they were losing, the remaining soldiers swung back over and allowed the _Pearl_ to make a quick getaway.

"Wait! What about Dad?" Natalie realized.

Suddenly, a cannon from the other ship exploded, followed by Jack's strangled scream as he flew through the air towards them. The crew watched and hurried up to the helm, where they all leant over the side to try and see Jack. But Natalie already knew where he had landed.

"Oi! Goons!"

They all turned their heads towards her, and Natalie wordlessly pointed upwards to where Jack stood.

"And that was without even a single drop of rum," he commented, hopping back down.

His eyes fell on Will, as Pintel and Ragetti slapped their hands on the shoulders of the mutineer.

"Send this," he began, but then had a second thought and covered his daughter's ears. "Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty, cod beast to the brig."

The two Pirates acknowledged and led Will away, before Jack removed him hands from Natalie's ears.

"Whatever ye just said, I'm sure I've heard a lot worse back in Tortuga," she told him.

Jack just sent her a wink before walking away.

* * *

Please review!


	34. Heartbreak

So here's the next chapter. Sorry that it's a little short, but I just think that it deserved it's own one. Enjoy!

* * *

Heartbreak

Night had fallen, and Natalie tossed and turned in her hammock as she tried to get some sleep. But she didn't feel tired. Too much had happened in the past twenty-four hours that had gotten her thinking, those thoughts blocking out her tiredness. It even surprised herself, since she had technically missed out on a night of sleep, but she was too busy thinking in order to care. It was good to have her father back. Now, they could start anew, without arguments or any disappointment.

Knowing that she wasn't going to be getting any sleep any time soon, Natalie climbed out of her hammock and proceeded to walk outside, with an intention of stretching her legs and getting some fresh air. She took in a deep breath and inhaled the sent of the salty sea.

"Escaped the brig even quicker than I expected."

Natalie jumped out of her thoughts and whipped round, her eyes noticing her father seated upon the stern. She was about to inform him that she had never even been in the brig in the first place, but then he continued, and Natalie realized that he was talking to someone on the lower deck. It was Will, from what she could make out.

Jack walked down the stern, not noticing her at all, as he continued talking. Natalie couldn't make out what they were saying, but she crept forwards and climbed up to the higher part of the deck, and peering down at them, she saw that it _was_ Will who had escaped, and he seemed to be doing this weird thing with some dead bodies and a couple of barrels.

"I'm losing her, Jack," she heard Will say. "Every step I make to my father, is a step away from Elizabeth."

_If ye choose ta lock yer heart away, ye'll lose her for certain_, Natalie thought to herself.

"You could avoid the choice altogether?" Jack suggested. "Let someone else kill Jones."

"You?"

Natalie's eyes went wide. If he stabbed the heart, that meant...

"I slip aboard the _Dutchman_, find the heart, stab the beating thing, your father goes free from his debt, and you're free to be with your charming murderess," Jack explained.

_Charming, indeed_, Natalie thought to herself, but she was too caught up in what her father had said in order to think of any more nasty thoughts towards Elizabeth. If he stabbed the heart, then that meant he would become Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. And she would never see him again. Natalie expected herself to become angry, like she had done many times before, but no such anger came. Instead, Natalie just felt distraught. Abandoned. Heartbroken. She had only just been reunited with her father, and already she was losing him.

"You have to do the job though, Jack," Will told him. "You have to ferry souls into the next world. Or end up just like Jones."

At this, Jack cringed.

"I don't want a face of tentacles," he stated.

_And I would like a father without tentacles, thank you_, Natalie thought.

Jack gave Will his compass, then using his bad breath, sent him tumbling overboard. Jack then pushed a barrel into the water.

"My regards to Davy Jones!" he called after Will.

Hearing this, Natalie thought that it would be best to go back to the cabin, so as not to face her father when he came back up again. So, she turned to leave.

CRASH!

She walked straight into one of the barrels, knocking it over on it's side, and it rolled towards the edge of the higher part of the deck. It had made enough noise already, but Natalie hurriedly shook her head at it like it was something alive, before she flinched as it fell and crashed to the main deck below. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and waited.

"Nat?"

Just as she suspected, Jack had climbed up from the stern to see what the noise was all about, and his eyes expanded slightly at the sight of his daughter. He then realized that she must have heard everything.

"Nat?" he said again, reaching out an arm towards his daughter.

But Natalie just pulled away, averting her eyes away from him. She was still upset, and confronting him just made it worse, if anything.

"Nat, I have to," he explained, knowing all too well why she was upset.

"Do ye?" she asked him, in a quiet voice which showed that she was more upset than angry. "Just so Sir Whelp can live with his Lady Murderess? What about me, then? What am I 'posed ta do?"

Jack closed his eyes and turned away. He had hoped that Natalie wouldn't find out about this, and that by the time she did it would be too late to change anything. But sometimes, things don't work out as planned, even for Jack Sparrow.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

His daughter looked up at him, and Jack could see the tears clearly visible in her eyes.

"Don't be," was all she said, before she hurried down onto the main deck and into their cabin, slamming the door behind her.

Jack let out a deep sigh. Whenever they were getting along, something always came up which broke them apart again. Maybe they weren't meant to have the father/daughter relationship he seemed to long for?

* * *

Sad, I know. But it'll all work out in the end, I can assure you all of that! Please review!


	35. The Cove

So yes, sorry for the wait, I was busy with other stories and such. Here's part one of the meeting of the Brethren, since I had to split it into two halves due to the length. I hope you like it!

* * *

The Cove

Natalie avoided her father for as long as she could, until they docked in the Pirate City of Shipwreck Cove. Natalie actually forgot her disagreement with her father as she observed the place; all the shipwrecks were all linked together in a way which made the place look like a city, and the young girl wondered how anyone could build a place like this. The crew walked into a large room, where other crews were waiting along with their Captains. Natalie could make out lots of different cultures, and glanced at the other Pirate Lords in awe. They were all just like she had expected them to be from the many stories which her mother had told her.

She barely even noticed Barbossa ask for silence, before each Pirate Lord was asked to hand over their piece of eight and place it in the bowl. They did this, Barbossa popping out Ragetti's eye ball as his piece of eight, before Jack was asked to hand his over. Natalie watched as her father touched the string of beads on his bandanna.

"Might I point out that we are still short one Pirate Lord," he suddenly spoke up, stepping forwards with a charming grin, "and I'm content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"Sao Feng is dead."

Natalie and everyone turned, to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway with the Singapore pirates, and with Sao Feng no where in sight.

"He fell to the Flying Dutchman," she continued, before taking out her sword and stabbing it in the globe along with the rest,

"He made _you _Captain?" Jack asked, in what seemed to be in disbelief.

"He's just givin' the bloody title away now!" Natalie complained, throwing up her arms.

"Listen to me!" she shouted, ignoring Natalie's complaining and glares. "Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Beckett; they're on their way here."

"Who is this betrayer?" the African Pirate Lord, Gentleman Jocard, asked.

"Not likely anyone among us!" Barbossa pointed out.

"Which Will is not, in case any of ye haven't noticed," Natalie spoke up, hinting mainly towards Elizabeth.

"What?" Elizabeth gasped. "Where is he?"

"How should I know?" Natalie snapped back, shrugging. "All I know is tha' there was this little accident, 'e fell overboard, and I 'avent 'eard from 'im since."

"It matters not _how _they found us," Barbossa interrupted. "The question is, what do we do now they have?"

"We fight!" Elizabeth spoke up.

Her statement was met by laughter.

"Yeah, let's all laugh at the murderess for 'er stupid suggestion!" Natalie chipped in.

It was clear that she still blamed Elizabeth for her father's death; she was probably never going to let that go.

"Shipwreck Cove is a fortress," the Chinese Pirate Lord, Mistress Ching, resorted. "A well supplied fortress! There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us."

There were shrugs and noises of agreement.

"There'd be a third course," Barbossa began. "In another age, at this very spot, the first Brethren Court captured the sea goddess, and bound her in her bones."

Everyone nodded.

"That was a mistake," Barbossa continued, earning confused stares from everyone. "Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett, and his ilk! Better were the days when mastery of the seas came not from bargains stuck with eldritch sea creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. You all know this to be true. Gentlemen…ladies…we must free Calypso."

There was a long silence. Then, quite suddenly, the entire room erupted with angry shouts.

"Shoot him!"

"Cut out his tongue!"

"Shoot him _and _cut out his tongue!" Jack agreed. "Then shoot his tongue!"

"And lets trim tha' stupid straggly beard of 'is!" Natalie added, agreeing with her father despite the terms they were on.

There were many shouts – some agreeing with Barbossa and some not – until suddenly, a gunshot went off, and everyone immediately began to attack their neighbour. For no apparent reason, as well. Natalie couldn't believe it.

"This is worse than the bar fights in Tortuga," she commented. "How does everything get done 'round 'ere?"

"This is madness," Elizabeth commented.

"This is politics," Jack corrected her, quickly yanking his daughter aside as a random Pirate was thrown off the table in her direction.

Natalie shrugged his arm off her in annoyance. She had seen the Pirate coming, and would have easily avoided him without her father's help. After about five minutes, Barbossa climbed onto the table and fired two shots into the air. The fighting stopped, and everyone looked at him.

"It was the first Court what imprisoned Calypso," he began to speak again, "we should be the ones to set her free, and in her gratitude she will see fit to grant us boons."

"Who's boons? Your boons?" Jack questioned, as Barbossa sighed and stepped off the table. "Utterly deceptive twaddle-speak says I."

"If ye have a better alternative, please, share," Barbossa challenged.

"Cuttlefish."

Not even Natalie had expected that answer. Her father moved her gentle aside as he started to walk round the table, continuing his speech which pretty much confused everyone in his presence.

"Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. Flipping glorious little sausages. Pen them up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought; human nature, isn't it? Or...fish nature. So, yes we could hole up here, well provisioned and well armed, and half of us would be dead within a month. Which seems quite grim to me whichever way you slice it, or...as my learned colleague so naively suggests, we can release Calypso, and we can pray she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we pretend she is anything other than a women scorned with like fury hell hath no? We cannot. So, I'm afraid, we are left with but one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming out of me mouth...Captain Swann. We must fight."

Natalie raised a surprised eyebrow, just as a few angry shouts protested against this suggestion.

"You've always run from a fight!" Barbossa shouted.

"Have not!"

"Ye have so!"

It went backwards and forwards, reminding Natalie of the arguments she used to have at a younger age with the street kids in Tortuga, until Jack put an end to it.

"Have not, slander and calumny!" he stated. "I have only ever embraced the oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here and now, that is what we all must do: we must to fight...to run away."

Gibbs immediately agreed, and Natalie found herself agreeing, too. Despite being disappointed with what he had said the previous night.

"According to the Code," Barbossa pointed out, "an act of war can only be declared by the Pirate King."

"Um...sorry ta offend ye, but tha' is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Natalie commented. "Who ever heard of a Pirate King? Seriously?"

"Very well," Barbossa said to her. "I call on Captain Teague; Keeper of the Code."

The room fell silent, and glancing over at her father, Natalie noticed that his face had gone ghost white. Apparently, he wasn't on very good terms with this Captain Teague person. Someone started shouting out that the Code should be hung, until a gunshot was heard, and the man collapsed to the floor. Natalie gasped when her eyes fell upon the gunman.

"The Code is the law, mate," he said, blowing away the smoke.

And Natalie could have passed out from the shock.

* * *

Hmm, I wonder what Natalie would think of her grandfather? Part two should hopefully be up soon! Please review!


	36. Grandfather

Quick update, I know, but this chapter was just writing itself. Enjoy!

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Grandfather

Natalie didn't have to ask to know who he was. His looks, the way he spoke, the way he staggered down the steps; all of it reminded Natalie of her father, and since the man looked a lot older, the only thing he could be was her grandfather. And already she respected him. Probably something to do with the fact that Jack was pretty much cowering before him.

"You're in my way, boy," Teague spoke with authority, and Jack immediately stepped sideways to let his father past.

Captain Teague called forwards two old pirates, both carrying a very large book which Natalie guessed was the Code. Teague then whistled, and a dog came padding towards him with keys in his mouth; but as far as Natalie could recall, that same dog had been left behind on the Cannibal island.

"Sea turtles, mate," Teague said, shrugging, as if reading everyone's mind.

Taking the keys from the dog, he unlocked the book, and ran his finger down the page as if looking for something.

"Barbossa is right," he finally said.

"Wha'?" Natalie gaped. "So there is a Pirate King? Not surprised tha' he ain't 'ere. With how bad everything's got, he's probably hidin' since it would technically be his fault. Bein' king, and all."

"Hang on a minuet," Jack spoke up, ignoring his daughter, and stepping forwards to take a look himself. "It shall be the duties, as the King, to declare war, parley against adversaries...fancy that."

"There has not been a King since the first Court, and that is not likely to change," the French Pirate Lord, Captain Chevalle, pointed out.

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked.

"See, the Pirate King is elected by popular vote," Gibbs explained.

"And each pirate only ever votes for hisself," Barbossa finished.

"Makes sense, since I imagine every Pirate Lord would wanna be king," Natalie commented.

"I call for a vote!" Jack announced.

Barbossa rolled his eyes, and there was an echo of annoyed groans as Teague began to play on his guitar in the far corner of the room. The vote still went ahead, though. Unsurprisingly, Pirate Lord after Pirate Lord voted for themselves, but then, when it came to Jack's turned, he surprised everyone by _not_ voting for himself.

"Elizabeth Swann."

"What?" both the Captain in question and Natalie gaped.

"I know. Curious, isn't it?" Jack said.

The room erupted into angry shouts once more. Since it was clear that Jack would not be voting for himself, all the other Pirate Lords tried to get him to vote for them instead, but Jack put a stop to this.

"Am I to understand that you lot will_ not_ be keeping to the Code, then?"

A guitar string snapped, and Teague shot a glare upwards. Jack had out-smarted everyone (apart from his father, obviously), and he was not about to go back on what he had said. So it was official. Elizabeth was King of the Brethren Court, and her first order was a declaration of war against the East India Trading Company.

"And so, we shall go to war!" the Indian Pirate Lord, Sri Sumbhajee, announced, surprising everyone with how high pitched his voice was.

"Tha' is weirder than Dad votin' for someone other than 'imself," Natalie commented, just as the rest of the Pirates cheered and left the room.

Natalie pushed her way through the crowd as she tried to get to where Jack and Teague stood. She didn't want to see her father, obviously; she wanted to meet her grandfather. They were talking once she reached them, and Teague's eyes immediately fell on her. His dark eyes scanned her from head to bottom.

"I presume this is my granddaughter?" he asked his son, not even taking his eyes off Natalie.

"You are correct," Jack replied.

Teague nodded, still not taking his eyes of her.

"Come here, lass. Let me take a look at you."

Hesitantly, Natalie closed the gap in between them and stood directly in front of him, her nerves building up. Unlike her father, Captain Teague had an air of authority about him; an authority which shouldn't be reckoned with, and Natalie knew better than to snap at him about how uncaring Jack was. He probably wouldn't have cared. Teague continued to observe her, finally nodding an approval.

"You'll go far in the world of Piracy, lass," he spoke. "I can see from just looking at you that you have your mother's spirit and courage, as well as your father's cunning and longing for freedom. How old are you?"

"Twelve, sir," Natalie muttered, feeling it wise to call him sir, because of his authority. "But I should be turnin' thirteen soon."

Teague just nodded again.

"Jackie, I would like a moment alone with the child," he said to Jack, finally turning to face him. "Could you please leave us?"

"Well I'm...not gonna say no to that," Jack said, still feeling very awkward around his father, before turning to walk out a different door, but paused. "Oh, and by the by, where's the rest of the Sparrow Clan?"

"They chose to stay home, Jackie, so don't get your hopes up," Teague replied with a smirk on his face.

"You're kidding, right?" Jack resorted, before leaving the room completely.

Natalie was left alone with Teague. She stood in silence, waiting for him to say something, and too frightened to say anything herself. It was minutes before Teague finally spoke.

"Tell me about your relationship," he asked of her, setting himself down in his chair.

"Well, when I first met 'im, I 'ated 'im," Natalie began, regaining a bit of courage. "He left me mother heartbroken and "borrowed" her boat, and I 'ated 'im for it. Then me mum died, and I 'ated 'im even more. 'E kept me on 'is ship, and I didn't understand why, since I wanted ta leave and 'ave nothin' more ta do with 'im. But 'e just wouldn't let me. But then everything changed. 'E saved me in Tortuga from gettin raped. Since then, our relationship has been up and down. I 'ated him when I saw him kissin' Lizzie, but then I was distraught when 'e died. But now, 'e says tha' he's gotta stab the heart, and I don't want him to. Because then I'll never see 'im again."

She could say no more, but it seemed to be enough for Teague.

"I know it's hard," he said, his voice a little softer than before. "You remind me of what Jackie was like at about your age, probably older. He didn't even speak to me. He just ignored me, blocking both me and the rest of the family out. One day he ran away, and I chased after him, fearing that he would get hurt on his own. But then I realized that he was learning quite a lot on his own, so let him go. You, on the other hand, are still young, and you're not ready."

"I think I got tha' message back in Tortuga," Natalie admitted, a smile lifting on her face.

"At least you can admit it yourself," Teague continued. "But the truth is, even though it may not seem like it, your father loves you very dearly. If he's anything like me, he'll do anything to keep you safe."

"Stabbin' the heart and abandonin' me ain't exactly 'keepin' me safe', is it?" Natalie pointed out.

"Think about it this way," Teague said. "He stabs the heart, takes control of the _Dutchman_, and keeps the seas free for Pirates everywhere. Every Pirate would be safe with him as Captain, no?"

Natalie saw his point, reluctantly.

"But still, someone else could at least stab it instead of him," she protested. "I don't wanna lose him again."

Teague let out a sigh.

"I'll have a talk with him," was all he said. "He sees sense a bit more whenever I speak with him. Go send him in, then you can go off exploring. Shipwreck Cove had lots of hidden secrets you'll no doubt be curious about."

With a smile, Natalie left the room, and it wasn't long before Jack entered in her place.

"You wanted to speak with me?" he asked casually, waltzing over to his father.

"Yes," Teague began. "You have a wonderful daughter, Jackie. She reminds me of you, when you were her age."

"She reminds me of me, too," Jack admitted. "In fact, I actually recall her saying something to me which was similar to what I said to you once. When I had run away and you were trying to get me onto your ship."

Teague chuckled at the memory. It would have been good fun to watch Jack get a taste of his own medicine.

"And do you care for her?" he then asked.

Jack found himself turning away. Being who he was, he very rarely allowed his true colours to show, except in front of his daughter. But this was his father he was talking to; he knew what was going on in his son's head, and Jack knew it.

"Of course I do," he admitted in a hush voice, in case anyone was listening (God forbid, Natalie). "I care about her more than anything else in the world. When the Kraken was about to take down the _Pearl_, I was willing to go down with her so that Nat could get to safety. Lizzie apparently had the same thought."

"Then if you care about her, then why are you stabbing the heart of Davy Jones?"

Once again, Jack was silent. He had many reasons for stabbing the heart. One was so Will didn't have to, and eternal life did sound promising. But there was a more important reason.

"Because if I'm Captain, then I can keep the seas free for Pirates everywhere," Jack explained. "I can keep the Navy at bay and Pirates will flourish. And that includes Natalie. She'll no doubt take my place as Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, and with her own father as the Sea Lord, no one would dare touch her, eh?"

"That's not necessarily true, Jackie," Teague pointed out. "Because you won't be there for her all the time. She's still only a child, Jackie. She still needs someone to comfort her, and be there for her. She needs you."

And with that, Captain Teague left the room, leaving behind a very puzzled and very torn Jack Sparrow.

* * *

I hope you all liked it! Please review!


	37. Going to Battle

Er, sorry this took so long. Hopefully there won't be as big a gap next time.

* * *

Going To Battle

Morning had arrived, and all the Pirates were standing out on deck, waiting for the East India Trading Company to arrive. Natalie stood by her father, knowing that whatever happened today, it would probably be the last time she saw her father. She hoped that maybe Teague had talked some sense into him, but from the attitude Jack had, she doubted it. Instead, to take her mind off it, she turned to look into the fog, where a lone ship appeared on the horizon.

"The enemy is here!" Marty shouted. "Let's take them!"

Everyone cheered, except for Barbossa and Jack. Natalie wondered why, until she saw more ships appearing through the fog. Hundreds more, in fact. And they outnumbered the Brethren completely.

"Abandon ship!" Cotton's parrot squawked, taking off and heading towards Shipwreck Cove.

All eyes suddenly turned on Jack, blaming him. Natalie didn't seem surprised. She usually blamed him for everything, too. Jack just smiled weakly.

"Parley?"

* * *

Natalie paced the deck, back and forwards, and glancing up at the sun to check the time. Jack, Elizabeth and Barbossa had gone to meet with Beckett, Jones and another person, who was too far away for Natalie to tell who it was. But if she knew one thing, it was that they had been gone for too long. It worried her, and she wondered what was going on at their little meeting.

The boat eventually came back, but to Natalie's surprise, Will sat in it in Jack's place. It answered the question of who the other man was, but it also raised the question of what had happened to her father.

"Where's me father?" she demanded from Elizabeth.

"He traded places with Will," Elizabeth replied. "He's on the _Dutchman_, finding the heart so as to stab it."

Natalie looked down. She wouldn't be saying goodbye to him, after all. Elizabeth missed her look of pure sadness as she turned back to Will.

"We can use the _Pearl_ as a flagship to lead the attack," she told him.

"Will we, now?" Barbossa questioned.

Natalie turned, and saw Tia Dalma completely tied up, and being led onto the deck by the other crew members. No doubt they would be releasing her, like Barbossa had said the night before.

"Barbossa, we can't release her!" Will demanded.

Pirates were immediately restraining him and Elizabeth. Natalie just moved aside, arms folded across her stomach and ready to watch what was about to happen. She had a feeling that she was going to enjoy Barbossa going against Elizabeth.

"Apologies," he apologized. "But I'm not about to let the seas fall into the hands of Cutler Beckett!"

He yanked her piece of eight from her neck, before placing it and Jack's piece of eight into a wooden bowl. Natalie stepped forwards and offered to hold it, whilst Pintel securely held the ropes binding Tia.

"The items brought together: done," Barbossa announced. "Items to be burned..."

Ragetti handed him a lighter, whilst Gibbs poured some rum into the bowl. Natalie shifted, uncertain, and a little unsure about the burning bit. How would she keep hold of it?

"And someone must speak the words 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds'," Barbossa finished.

"Is tha' it?" Natalie asked.

"It must be spoken as if to a lover," Barbossa told her.

The men all made noises of pleasure and agreement, which Natalie rolled her eyes at.

"Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" Barbossa announced, before putting the tip of the lighter into the bowl.

Natalie flinched, waiting for something to happen, but no such thing came.

"Is tha' it?" she asked again. "Usually all this magic stuff 'appens with a flash, or a bang, or somethin'. I'm disappointed by tha'."

"No, no, you didn't say it right."

All eyes turned to Ragetti, who had spoken. His face was determined, and for once, Natalie thought that he looked sure of himself.

"You have to say it right," he repeated, before turning to Calypso rather shyly. "Calypso...I release you from your human bonds."

There was a reaction that time. The contents of the bowl burst into flames, and with a gasp, Natalie let go. But the bowl floated in mid air, the smoke rising from it and up Tia's nostrils. She inhaled deeply and her eyes slid closed.

"Tia Dalma! Calypso," Will spoke up.

She snapped her head round to him, and the bowl dropped to the deck with a clatter.

"When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it who showed them how?" Will continued. "Who was it who betrayed you?"

"Name him!"

"Davy Jones."

The woman's shaking increased, and firmly shutting her eyes in despair, she began to grow. The crew backed away, panicking, and yelling in fright.

"This is it!" Natalie cried, pointing. "This is definitely it!"

Calypso continued to grow, the deck being crushed beneath her and the ropes snapping and expanding around her body. Some of the crew were forced to let go, whilst others held on tightly, and all the while, everyone backed away from the supposedly angered sea goddess. But she finally stopped growing, and it was then that Barbossa stepped forwards, lowering down to one knee. The rest of the crew did the same.

"Calypso, I come before you as a servant, humble incantrite," he told her. "I have fulfilled me vow, and now I ask ye a favour. Spare meself, me ship, me crew, but unleash your fury on those who dare pretend themselves your masters...or mine."

She was silent for a moment, before she began shouting what sounded like insults at the crew below. Then, without warning, she transformed into hundreds upon hundreds of white crabs. With a scream, Natalie threw herself to the deck and covered her eyes, allowing the crabs to fall over and around her, and it was only when they were gone did she stand up. Pintel was trying to remove one from his nose, whilst Ragetti was trying to hurriedly pull one out of his trousers.

"Was tha' is?" she asked. "'cause if it was, she's no help at all."

"What now, then?" Pintel asked.

"Nothing," Barbossa told him. "Our final hope has failed us."

But then the wind began to pick up, storm clouds gathering above them and giving the atmosphere a mysterious feel. It sent shivers down Natalie's spine.

"It's not over, is it?" she said flatly.

"There's still a fight to be had," Will pointed out.

"We have an armada against us," Gibbs explained. "And with the Dutchman, there's no chance!"

"There's only a fool's chance," Elizabeth said, deep in thought.

"Revenge won't bring your father back," Barbossa pointed out, "and it's not something I'm intending to die for."

"You're right," Elizabeth told him, walking over to the railings. "Then what shall we die for?"

She turned to the rest of the crew, who were just staring at her with blank faces.

"You will listen to me. Listen!" she shouted, before standing on the railings. "The Brethren will be looking here to us; to the _Black Pearl_ to lead! And what will they see? Frightened bill-drats born a derelict shipner? No, they will see free men! AND FREEDOM! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons; they will hear, the ring of our swords, and THEY WILL KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts!"

All the Pirates just stared at her, even Natalie.

"Hoist the colours!" she ordered.

"Hoist the colours!"

"Hoist the colours!"

"Hoist the colours!"

"Aye!" Gibbs agreed. "The wind's on our side boys! AND THAT'S ALL WE NEED!"

Everyone cheered in agreement, as Elizabeth turned to the other ships.

"HOIST THE COLOURS!"

The other Pirate Lords cheered, as well as their crews. The colours were raised, and the ships were prepared. Elizabeth leapt down, to meet Natalie staring at her. The young girl gave her a nod of acceptance, smiling, and Elizabeth nodded back. They were on the same side, after all, and after seeing that, Elizabeth reminded Natalie of her mother.

* * *

Be prepared for an epic battle next! Please review!


	38. More Heartbreak

A bit of a shocker, this chapter. Brace yourselves.

* * *

More Heartbreak

The storm raging all around, the _Black Pearl_ sailed out ahead towards the enemy, and on the other side, Natalie spotted the _Flying Dutchman_ heading straight towards them.

"Great, we've got company!" she shouted above the thunder.

"Yeah, thanks for that!" Pintel yelled at her, highly annoyed. "And in case ye haven't noticed, on top of everything, it's raining!"

"It's a bad sign," Ragetti agreed.

"Be thankful tha' the wind's on our side!" Natalie shouted back at them, before she walked away in anger and began to follow Gibbs.

"Man the cannons, prepare for battle, and keep that powder dry!" he was commanding.

"Gibbs, I need a job!" she asked of him.

"Nat, go look over the side and see what you can see!" he ordered. "I've never seen a storm like this in years, and I doubt this is the worst of it."

So Natalie hurried over to the side of the ship, looking out ahead of them for anything unusual or unexpected. She could only see the _Dutchman_ sailing towards them, the fleet waiting behind them, but then, something else caught her attention. The water up ahead seemed to be opening out into a hole, and squinting her eyes, Natalie finally made out what it was. She had never seen one before in her life, but she knew enough from her mother to recognize it.

"Maelstrom!" she yelled, getting everyone's attention.

Elizabeth saw it too, so she and Will hurried over to where Barbossa stood motionless.

"Captain Barbossa, we need you at the helm!" she asked him.

Natalie knew that she shouldn't, but things were pretty desperate.

"Please, Cap'n!" she begged, hurrying over to them. "Ye're the only one on 'ere 'ho can do it. We need ye, Cap'n."

Barbossa considered this for a moment, before her pushed Cotton aside and took the helm, shouting commands. A bolt of lightning struck the Maelstrom as the _Dutchman_ entered the swirling water from the other side, gaining on the _Pearl_.

"She's on our stern, and gaining!" Will said, observing this.

"More speed!" Barbossa commanded, turning the wheel.

The _Pearl_ entered the Maelstrom, but things only appeared to get worse. Looking behind them at the _Dutchman_, Natalie saw the guns being loaded.

"They've got those triple guns out again!" she reported.

Just as she said this, one was let off, and Natalie had to slam herself to the deck in order to avoid it. More followed, hitting the ship, and one unfortunate crewman.

"Take us out, or they'll overbear us!" Will cried.

"Nay! Further in!" Barbossa disagreed. "We'll come across the faster waters!"

"Prepare to broadside!" Elizabeth shouted.

Natalie leapt up again, watching from the upper deck as the crewmen began to load the cannons ready.

"Just make sure ye don't hit Dad!" she yelled.

As angry as she was at him, he was their only chance of winning, and they needed him alive. Plus, a part of her still thought of him as her father; that part just wasn't present at that moment. It was only when the ships were board and board that the command was given.

"FIRE!"

"FIRE!"

"FIRE!"

Natalie crouched down and covered her ears as the guns exploded, hitting the opposite ship in an all out battle. The enemy retaliated, and it went back and forwards until the ships were close enough for men to swing across. Soldiers and fish men alike swung over to the _Pearl_, and Natalie took out her sword and fought with all the strength she had. She only went for the soldiers, since they could be killed, and were obviously easier to fight. If a fish person attacked her, she just kicked or hit them aside and removed herself from the situation.

It was when she had been about to kill another soldier, that she saw Will and Elizabeth kissing in the middle of the battle.

"Kissing? Really?" she questioned. "This is probably the most inappropriate time ta do it!"

"Definitely inappropriate," the soldier agreed.

Natalie turned back to him with a frown.

"I didn't ask for ye're opinion!" she snapped, before she ran him through with her sword.

At some point during the fight, Natalie saw Will staring at something on the _Dutchman_, so followed his gaze. Her eyes widened. Jack was hanging from the mast, chest in hand, and Davy Jones standing above him. Obviously things weren't going according to plan. So, when she saw Will grabbing a rope, Natalie leapt and grabbed a hold of his waist, and they swung out over the Maelstrom together.

"Nat, what are you doing here?" Will demanded.

"Goin' ta save me dad's buttox!" Natalie yelled at him over the storm. "Not tha' 'e deserves it, after abandonin' me."

They landed on the deck, and in the chaos, Will spotted the chest. He picked it up and made off with it.

"Hey! Bring tha' back 'ere!" Natalie yelled, chasing after him.

She lost him in the fight, and so, took out her sword once more and fought off some of the fish people. Natalie didn't know what happened, but when she turned back to more important matters, she saw Elizabeth lying on the steps, Will lying near her, and Davy Jones pointing a sword at Will's throat. The young girl found herself rolling her eyes.

"Can tha' whelp do anything righ'?" she questioned herself out loud, before she began to make her way over to the scene.

Davy Jones kept his sword pointed at Will.

"Tell me, William Turner, do you feel dead?" he asked.

"Do you?"

Turning, Jones caught sight of Jack with the heart in his hand, and the broken sword pointed right at it.

"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow!" Jones practically spat.

"Cruel is a matter of perspective," Jack said.

"Is it?" Jones questioned.

His plan was to turn and finish Will off, but out of the corner of his eye, he spied Natalie hurrying towards them. Sparrow's daughter. He had a sinister, evil idea; if he was to teach Sparrow a lesson, it would be more effective to kill her rather than the whelp. So, with a cry, he turned and went to stab Natalie. The girl froze, and thinking fast, avoided the blow. Only barely. Sneering, Jones brought his claw up towards her head in another attempt to be rid of her.

This time, Natalie did not see it coming.

The claw collided with her head, and with a startled and surprised screech, she was sent flying across the deck, and landed motionless and unconscious. Jack's eyes went wide, and he was only just able to restrain himself from crying out. He stared at her lifeless body, willing her to move, but she didn't. She had been hurt, and it was all his fault.

Jack looked down at the heart. How could he have been so blind? Stabbing the heart would do no good for her; she needed him with her, and from what he had just seen, she needed him more than ever. If only he had realized that sooner. Then it wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have gotten hurt.

Jones began to laugh. A look of pure darkness and pure hatred spread across Jack's face, and very slowly, he raised his gaze to look at Jones. His hand opened and dropped the heart, but he barely noticed it. All he felt was anger, hate, regret, and any other feeling which made his legs guide him straight towards the immortal captain. This soon turned into a run, before Jack found himself crying out in anger and leaping upon the captain's back. He pinned him against the rails, punching and kicking and beating the living daylights out of him. He used the broken sword in his hand to stab him, but since Davy Jones could not die, this had no effect on him whatsoever.

Finally, Jones regained himself and pinned Jack to the side of the ship, sword held high above his hate.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this!" he yelled.

Jack screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the blow, but no such blow came. Opening them again, he saw Jones gasping for air, dropping the sword from his hand in the process. They both turned, to see Will standing with Elizabeth in his arms, and next to them, stood Bootstrap Bill. The heart was in his hand, as well as the knife he had given Will on their last encounter.

"Time's up," Bootstrap told Jones, twisting the knife deeper into the heart.

Jones, still gasping for air, gazed up into the sky.

"Calypso?" was the last word he said, before he fell overboard into the Maelstrom.

When he was gone, Jack immediately ran over to Natalie, who still laid motionless on the deck. Jack took her into his arms.

"Come on, wake up!" he begged her. "Nat, please, wake up!"

She didn't respond. Jack bit his lip, forcing himself not to break down in front of everyone, but it was hard. He was brought from his thoughts by a hand firmly placing itself on his shoulder. It was Will.

"Jack, we need to go!" he explained. "We can treat her better once back on the_ Pearl_."

This Jack agreed with, and followed Will and Elizabeth over to where one of the sails was hanging loose. The only words Jack said was when he explained to Will how to get off the _Dutchman_, and after that, he remained silent. All he could think about was Natalie. His daughter. The only one he had left.

The only one he loved completely with all his heart.

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Oh no! Stay tuned for more!


	39. Almost Lost

Quite an emotional chapter, this. And I am really sorry if Jack seems OOC in this. This chapter was a pest to write, and this was the best I could write Jack in this situation. So don't complain. It was the best I could do.

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Almost Lost

Jack felt like a failure. For the first time in his life, he actually felt like a failure. He had failed to be a good father to Natalie, and now look where it had gotten him? She was lying unconscious in his arms as Jack sat in his cabin alone, refusing to come out. He didn't want to expose Natalie to the crew, nor did he want to expose his true colours. But above all of that, he just wanted her to wake up. She was all he had left, and he couldn't lose her. Not after all they had been through.

Will entered the cabin, but Jack barely noticed him. It was only when he was just a few inches away did the Pirate acknowledge his presence.

"Jack, you have to let someone take a look at her," he began, leaning forward to take a closer look at the bump on Natalie's head.

But Jack just turned away, pulling Natalie closer to him and out of Will's reach. He didn't want anyone to touch her. He knew fully well that Will wouldn't do anything that would hurt her, but he still didn't want to take any chances. Jack had taken many chances with his daughter, and look where it had gotten them both.

"Jack, I won't hurt her, but someone needs to see how badly hurt she is," Will explained.

"Then I will be the one to do it, mate," Jack told him in a threatening tone, before pulling Natalie's head closer so he could take a look.

There was a nasty cut where she had been hit, which had now closed, and the skin around it had gone purple with a large bruise. There was blood matted into her hair, but Jack was relieved to see that the cut had stopped bleeding. She hadn't lost much blood, so the cut wasn't fatal. But she still should have woken up by now.

"You really do care about her, don't you, Jack?" Will asked.

Jack looked up at him. Maybe getting his thoughts off his chest would do him some good, plus he would rather tell it to Will than anyone else.

"What I'm about to tell you, William, is something I would prefer to keep under wraps," he said. "So this goes with you to the grave."

"I will not tell a soul," Will assured him. "I will end up telling Elizabeth, though, since we are now a married couple. And married couple shouldn't keep secrets. But I know she won't tell anyone, either."

"Fine. Well, best to start from the beginning," Jack began. "You saw the look on my face first time I found out she was mine? It basically spoke my thoughts on ever having a child. It was just as likely to happen as Lord Beckett turning to Piracy."

"It did seem a little unusual," Will admitted.

"Which was why I wasn't too keen on her, at first," Jack continued. "But then I realized how much like me she was. William, a ship is like a person in a way, and the _Black Pearl_ has her own thoughts and desires. It's like she speaks to you, and you become one with the ship. Very few people have this gift, and I'm one of the lucky ones who have it. Something which I must of passed onto her."

"I didn't realize how much there really was to a ship," Will said.

"A ship is freedom, I can tell you that," Jack said. "But anyway, it was when Anamaria was lost in that storm did I begin to feel something for Nat. Just seeing her upset did something to my heart, and it didn't help that she wanted to go back to Tortuga. I knew she wouldn't survive an hour there on her own."

"I'd be surprised if she even lasted for _half_ and hour in that place," Will commented.

"But then she goes and shouts at me, which was when I concluded that she was like me," Jack continued. "A lot. I shouted a similar sort of thing to my _own_ father, but that's a long story. She avoided me for the next year, and I avoided her. It seemed like it would stay that way forever, before you showed up and all the trouble started."

"That was not my fault," Will said.

"I never said it was, mate," Jack said. "After you went aboard the _Dutchman_ and we went back to Tortuga, she was able to slip away so I couldn't find her. But she got into some sort of trouble, and if I hadn't gotten there in time, she would have been..."

Jack trailed off, looking down at his daughter.

"That was when I knew I couldn't let any harm come to her again," he said. "I knew that if I became a good father, then I would be able to raise her properly so she could become a good Pirate when she gets older. I feel as if she's been made for me. Which doesn't come as a surprise, since she is my offspring. But now...I've let this happen to her. And she may have been the one to get hurt, but it's hurt me, too. Seeing her like this is really hurting me. If only I had just realized how much I love her before, then maybe none of this would have ever happened."

"Jack, you can't blame this on yourself," Will told him. "I mean, what your saying now is enough to show that you love her. She's still only twelve, remember. You have enough time to be a father before she grows up."

"But how will I show her that?" Jack asked. "You've seen and heard how much she hates me, so why would she suddenly like me after all this?"

"Maybe because I heard every word you said."

Jack shot his eyes downwards, to see a similar pair of chocolate brown eyes looking back at him. Unknown to both Jack and Will, Natalie had woken up when Will had entered, and had been surprised to find her father holding her tightly. She had kept her eyes closed in order to hear what he had to say, and had been shocked by his sudden confession. And well, how could she hate him after that?

"But if ye don't mind, I would like ta hear ye say it again," Natalie said.

Jack just pulled her into a tight hug, not caring one bit that Will was still in the room watching him.

"Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again!" he said. "I don't know what I would have done if you had been lost."

"Well if ye don't wanna lose me, then _let go_!" she said. "I can't. BREATHE!"

Jack let her go, but still kept her cradled in his arms. Will silently slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. They both clearly needed time to themselves, and whatever needed to be said, it would be best said without anyone else listening.

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Cute, right? Review, please!


	40. The Pearl is Gone Again

Sorry for the short chapter, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't make it longer. I hope you enjoy it, all the same!

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The _Pearl_ Is Gone...Again

Natalie couldn't have been more happy. She and her father were getting along, Beckett had been defeated, and the seas were once again free for Pirates to sail on without care. Yes, life was good, but all that was about to change.

They were in Tortuga, and after the incident which happened last time, Natalie voted to stay on the ship while Jack went into town for some business – but with the way he said it, Natalie assumed that his "business" had something to do with two prostitutes who went by the names of Scarlet and Giselle. But he had not been gone for ten minutes before the ship began to leave.

"Wait!" Natalie shouted at the crew. "Why are we leavin'? Me dad ain' back yet!"

But then she saw why. Barbossa was standing at the helm, charts rolled up in his hand, and shouting commands at the crewmen. Scowling, Natalie strode towards him with an angry look on her face.

"Wha' do ye think ye're doin'?" she yelled at him. "The moment me dad sets foot off 'is ship, ye decide ta take it again?"

"Pirate, lass," Barbossa told her. "Although, there is one less person I want to dispose off too, not just Sparrow."

"Who's tha', then?" Natalie asked.

Her answer came in the form of two crewmen grabbing her and dragging her across the deck. Of course, Natalie being Natalie, put up quite a fight.

"This is against the Code!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"The Code is more like guidelines, than actual rules," Barbossa informed her. "I though ye knew that already."

"Ye won't get away with this!" Natalie yelled back. "Gibbs, help me!"

Gibbs couldn't help her, since he was fast asleep on the peer, completely drunk, and with a bear under his arm. Natalie struggled some more, before she managed to kick one of the men in his...weak spot. The man didn't stand for this.

"Ye'll pay for that, ye little brat!" he spat.

A searing pain shot up and down the back of Natalie's head, even more painful in the spot where she had been hit before, and the world went black.

* * *

When Natalie woke up, she was lying on the peer of Tortuga, with Jack standing over her. He looked very concerned for her.

"Nat?" he spoke softly, when her eyes flickered open. "Luv, what happened?"

Everything came back to her, and she sat up straight.

"Dad! He took ye're ship!" she remembered. "Barbossa took ye're ship again! I tried to stop him, but 'e ordered ta have me dragged off and left 'ere. I fought back, but they knocked me out."

Jack turned his gaze out onto the horizon, and turning also, Natalie saw the small shape of the _Black Pearl_ sailing away into the horizon. There was a look of pure hatred on his face.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard for harming you," he muttered.

"Technically, he didn't do it 'imself, but I guess 'e did order it," Natalie corrected him.

"Same thing," Jack told her. "I knew I shouldn't have dropped Will and Lizzie off in Shipwreck Cove. They would have stood with you."

"And 'e had the charts," Natalie remembered again. "Remember, ye were tellin' me 'bout goin' after the Fountain of Youth?"

"We still are," Jack told her.

"How?"

From his coat pocket, Jack produced a cut out circle of the charts, the makeshift map leading the way to the fabled Fountain of Youth. Natalie couldn't help but laugh.

"Can't wait ta see the look on Hector's face when he realizes tha'," she commented. "But we don't have a ship, do we?"

"Of course we do!" Jack said, pointing to the small dingy floating next to the peer.

"Are ye sure tha' ain't a stolen one?" Natalie asked.

"Positive," Jack replied. "Pirate's honour. I even named her meself."

"And wha' did ye name her?"

"The _Anamaria_."

* * *

And we're done! Finally! A BIG thank you to all those who reviewed, and a small thank you to those who just added it to alerts and favourites. Sure, you liked the story, but you could have at least told me _why_.

A sequel will be done, after the fourth movie comes out. You'll all have to wait until then!


	41. All Part of the Plan

So here I am, continuing this story at last. Saw the fourth movie again, brought the novelization and tried to write down as much as I possible good (and considering I only saw it twice, I think I did a pretty good job).

I also thought it would just be easier to add OST on the end of the main story rather than create a sequel. It's still a part of the story, after all.

Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own PotC other than Natalie, blah, blah, blah...

* * *

All Part of the Plan

It was times like this one when Natalie wondered how she'd gotten herself into this position; how things had become crazy enough to lead up to it. But ever since she'd gone gallivanting around the world with her father she'd learned never to question the circumstances she found herself in. Because when her father was involved, crazy was a loose term. Crazy was a trait they both needed to survive, and she didn't argue with that.

Waiting in the long corridor outside the courtroom she pondered how much her life had changed in the past few years. It almost felt like yesterday she lived with her mother in Tortuga, and now here she was; in London, saving her father's first mate from a hanging. It reminded her of a time when she and her mother had saved a group of pirates from being taken from Tortuga to be hung.

Her mother... Despite how long it had been since that terrible night when her mother fell overboard Natalie still missed her. Terribly. As the days, weeks, months, _years_ went by the heartache grew more painful, and the girl found herself missing her mother more and more as the time passed. She was with her father now, sure; and she loved her father, even if they did have the odd disagreement or two, but the need for her mother was beginning to consume her completely.

Suddenly the door opened, and out came her father, undressing himself from the judge's clothes.

"It went well?" Natalie asked, coming to walk alongside him.

"Better than I planned, anyway," Jack replied, opening a door to reveal the real judge tied up; Jack gave the stuff back to him. "Thanks very much."

He closed the door again and they were away.

"How could they mistake Gibbs for ye, anyway?" the girl asked again. "I'm pretty sure the age would be an indication, and the fact that he's not even the slightest bit crazy. Like ye are."

"What have I told you about that, Nat?" her father questioned.

"I know, I know," his daughter replied, as they left the building and approached a horse and cart. "If ye're not crazy, ye don't live as long."

"And life's boring," Jack added, collecting his hat from one of the horses and nodding to the driver.

The pair got in line behind Gibbs, who was taken and thrown into the back of the wagon. The man turned, took one look at Jack and Natalie, before grabbing them both and throwing them in afterwards. The doors were closed and the trio were away. Gibbs looked relieved to see them both, but he was still down in the dumps.

"Great, now _all three_ of us are heading for prison," he sighed.

"No worries," Jack assured him. "I've paid off the driver."

"Funny how men can be swayed by round bits of metal," Natalie observed.

"In ten minutes we'll be out of London where another horse and coach will be waiting," Jack continued, taking a sip of rum. "We'll be at the coast by nightfall."

"Only flaw in the plan is we need ta find a ship," Natalie finished.

"And that plan is?" the older man asked.

"Arrive in London and save one Joshamee Gibbs from one appointment with the gallows," Jack explained, handing the rum to Gibbs "before high-tailing it outta here. So far it's going well, seeing how you're still alive."

"Now the only question is why ye were in London," Natalie asked. "Last time we saw ye, ye were in Tortuga with those former lady friends of Dad's."

"I was, but I always listen like a thief for news of the _Black Pearl_," Gibbs answered.

The very reason why the pair had been gallivanting around the world; searching for their beloved ship. They'd come rather close on various occasions, no thanks to the Sparrows' sixth-like senses when it comes to the ship. But over the past year and a half the ship had been silent. After one disturbing night where her calls had been rather confusing...

"Then I hear a rumour," Gibbs continued. "Jack Sparrow's in London; with a ship, and looking for a crew."

"Are ye?" Natalie asked, turning to her father with a questioning look. "I don't remember that part of the plan."

"Am not!" Jack denied.

"But that's what I heard," Gibbs informed. "And they'd be signing up tonight at a pub called _The Captain's Daughter_."

"Like I said: I. Am. Not," Jack denied once again, snatching the rum back off Gibbs.

"I thought it a bit odd, too," the older man shrugged. "But you've never the been the most predictable of sorts."

"Ye're right there," Natalie agreed. "Most of the time I can't even figure out his next move."

"Which brings us to the unsettling conclusion that there is another Jack Sparrow out there selling my good name," her father realized.

"An imposter?"

"Aye," he spoke. "But...an imposter with a ship, and in need of a crew. And as fate would so have it, Nat and I are in need of both."

"Ye can just kill the imposter and take over the ship," his daughter suggested. "No one will know."

"What about you, Jack?" Gibbs began, ignoring Natalie's proposition. "Last I heard from the pair of you, you were both hell-bent on finding the Fountain of Youth."

He took the map from Jack's pocket and opened it up, revealing the round, cut-out charts from a few years before. Still turned onto the map to the sacred Fountain. Jack snatched it back off him.

"Circumstances arose, and all that," was his excuse.

"Meaning ye gave up."

"Technically, no," Natalie corrected him. "According ta Dad we need a ship ta find it. Which needs a crew. Which as he stated before, we don't have."

"So really our search has just been postponed until further notice," Jack explained. "But mark my words, Master Gibbs; I will taste those waters."

Suddenly the cart ground to a halt.

"Oh, short trip," Jack observed.

"I didn't think it'd be _that_ short," Natalie spoke.

Jack opened the doors and stepped out, but instead of finding freedom of the land outside London, he was met with the angry, displeased faces of the marines. Behind him Natalie and Gibbs froze.

"Yeah, short trip ta Hell," the former commented.

"All part of the plan, yes?" the latter asked hesitantly.

Jack turned to go back in, giving one marine a chance to hit him on the back of the head with the rear end of a musket. He fell on Nat, who caught him swiftly, but with a struggle.

"No."

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Please leave kind comments and reviews.


	42. Tea with the King

Here's another chapter.

Also, a friend of mine is writing a PotC fic (first one); it's really well written, but no one appears to be paying much attention to it (or at least, only a few people are). Here's the link: ht tp: / / ww w. fanfiction. net / s / 7090685 / 1 / (just take out the spaces). Fantastic readers and reviewers of mine, do you mind giving it a read and telling her what you think? Give constructive criticism if you feel she needs it (just no flames, please).

On with the story!

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Tea with the King

The two Sparrows were dragged through what Natalie could only assume was the palace, considering how neat, tidy and expensive everything looked. Her father was in front of her, being dragged forwards while Natalie was dragged backwards, her heels squeaking against the well-polished floors.

The girl really felt like telling her father off for the obvious flaw in his plan, but remembering that bad things always seemed to happen whenever she was angry at him, she decided against it. They were in enough of a pickle as it was.

After what felt like forever the guards brought them into an empty room, filled with only a table with food, a few chairs and candles. Jack was dragged over to one of the chairs at the table and chained to it, while Natalie found herself chained to another chair – only this one was by the window. When the guards left the pair sat in silence.

Until Jack tried to move the chair forwards in order to retrieve something from the table.

"Really, Dad?" Natalie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm hungry," was her father's reply, finally getting close enough to reach out and grab something.

His hand froze when the doors opened. Jack kicked the table; a bun rolled off its plate, which he kicked into the air hurriedly. Natalie would have rolled her eyes if her attention wasn't focussed on the men entering the room.

Several guards walked in and surrounded them, two standing either side of Natalie while three men wearing wigs followed behind. One – a sour-faced man – sat down in the chair facing Jack, while the other two stood either side of him.

"You are Jack Sparrow, aren't you?" one asked.

"There should be a 'Captain' in there somewhere," was Jack's reply.

"Yeah, like that's the most important thing right now," Natalie muttered under her breath.

"I have heard of you," the sour-faced man spoke up, slumped in his chair. "And you know who I am."

Jack gave him a confused look. This time Natalie rolled her eyes; she was younger than him and _she_ knew who he was!

"Face is familiar; have I...threatened you before?" he asked.

"King of England, Dad," Natalie spoke up; when the men looked her way she bowed her head. "Your Majesty."

Of course, normally she wouldn't perform such formalities. But this man had the power to hang her; she could suck up her pride for one meeting. Her father glanced over towards her.

"Really?" Jack questioned, and Natalie nodded. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"I have heard you have come to London to procure a crew for your ship," the King continued.

Jack shook his head.

"Vicious rumour, not true," he denied.

"We don't have a ship; but we _are_ in need of a crew...for a ship we don't have yet," Natalie spoke up.

"Then you lied to me when you told me you were Jack Sparrow."

"I _am_ Jack Sparrow, but the one looking for a crew is...someone else," Jack corrected, fiddling with the shackles.

"Oh. Someone _else_ named Jack Sparrow," the King spoke, turning to the men beside him. "You've brought me the wrong one; find the _proper_ one and dispose of this imposter, along with the little rat over there."

And that just didn't stand at all.

"No, the _other_ one with a ship is the imposter!" Natalie snapped. "This one _here_ is the real one."

"And how would you know?" the King asked.

"'Cause he's my father, I'd know him anywhere," the girl replied. "Unfortunately."

"I heard that," Jack said, continuing to fiddle with the shackles. "Like she said, I _am_ Jack Sparrow, the one and only. And I _am_ in London."

"Yes, to procure a crew, to undertake a voyage to the Fountain of-" the King began, but lost his temper when Jack continued to fiddle with the shackles. "Oh, will someone please remove those infernal chains!"

Jack sighed with relief when two guards stepped forwards and unlocked him. The two guards by Natalie did the same, and the girl gently soothed her red raw wrists.

"We know you have a map," one of the men spoke.

"So confiscate the map, and to the gallows with him!" the other ordered.

"I doubt you even know how ta _read_ the map," Natalie muttered under her breath, approaching her father.

"Have you a map?" the King asked, ignoring the girl.

Natalie closed her eyes with frustration as her father reached inside his coat...only for his eyes to grow wide. He leaned closer to his daughter.

"Do you have the map?" he whispered.

"No, ye wouldn't trust me with it," Natalie snapped back. "Don't tell me ye've lost it!"

"You lost it?" one man asked.

"Quite recently, in fact," Jack added, rising from his seat to inspect the food on the table.

"I have a report," the King began, "that the Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth!"

He threw up a fit, banging on the table as he ranted, although Natalie couldn't quite pick up what he was saying. There were a lot of long words in his rant. Jack ignored said rant; he was too busy eating a strawberry off one of the cakes.

"You do know the way to the Fountain?" the left man asked.

"'Course I do," Jack replied.

"You could guide an expedition," the right man stated.

"With your permission, your Highny," the pirate began, leaning on one of the chairs and tossing a table cloth on the floor behind him, "you will not only be guaranteeing mine and my daughter's lives, but also providing us with a ship and a crew."

"And a captain," the King added.

The far door opened, and Natalie backed away towards her father at the sight of the figure standing in the shadows. Jack grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him as the figure stepped into the room, a peg leg tapping against the floor. He bowed to the King, before revealing himself to be...

"Afternoon, sire."

* * *

And we all know who _that_ is :D


	43. Escape the Palace

I hope the ending of this chapter is...interesting enough.

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Escape the Palace

It was Barbossa, wearing naval uniform and with a peg leg. As he limped into the room Natalie couldn't help but notice the obvious death glare on her father's face. And considering what had happened a few years before – when the older captain had taken the _Pearl_ – the girl couldn't blame him.

"If I may be so bold," Barbossa spoke, "why is that man not in chains? He must be handcuffed at once."

"In the centre of my palace? Hardly," said the King.

"Listen to your king, Barbossa," Natalie couldn't resist saying, which earned her a glare from the former captain.

That earned her a glare.

"Hector," Jack spoke, his tone bitter and dripping with sarcasm, "how nice to see a fellow pirate make good of himself."

"Pirate, nay," the former pirate corrected. "_Privateer_. On a mission under the authority and protection of the crown."

Natalie didn't know what to make of it.

"I never thought I'd see the day," was all she could say on the matter.

"That may be, but first," Jack continued, leaning towards him across the table, "what has become of my beloved _Pearl_?"

"I lost the _Pearl_, same way as I lost me leg!" Barbossa explained, and rested his leg on the table to show.

"Lost the _Pearl_?"

"Aye. I defended her mightily enough, but she was sunk."

Jack was fuming. Natalie could see it in his eyes – and she could feel the pain and anger in her own heart. Her father attempted to leap across the table out of pure rage, and two guards had to hurry to restrain him.

"If that ship be sunk properly," he spat coldly, "you should be sunk with it."

Natalie flinched at the reminder of her father staying behind on the _Pearl_ a few years before, when the Kraken had attacked. It was this reminder which made her leap across the table in an attempt to do...something horrible to Barbossa, but like her father she was pulled back.

"Bastard," she swore in the older captain's direction.

"Captain Barbossa," the King interrupted. "Each second we tally, the Spanish outdistance us. I have ever confidence you will succeed and obtain the high station which you so desire."

"Seriously, how stupid are ye?" Natalie spoke up, staring directly at Barbossa.

"Where's the harm in joining the winning side?" Barbossa informed her right back.

"I understand everything," Jack spoke. "...Except for that wig."

Suddenly he elbowed the two guards holding him, before turning and grabbing their muskets and shooting both upwards. At the same time Natalie head-butted the guard restraining her. The shots from the muskets hit the chandelier and broke one of the chains holding it up, causing it to swing from side to side.

Jack grabbed one of the muskets and used it to knock out both of the guards trying to grab him. Natalie quickly hurried to the end of the table and threw a chair at the window; it shattered to pieces. Her father climbed on the table and kicked many plates of food at the guards, while a few others removed the King from the table.

With all the guards in panic Jack made it to the end of the table, jumping off to join his daughter. When a guard began to run at them the pirate wrapped an arm around Natalie, the same arm grabbing one end of the rope holding the curtains while the other hand held out the other end. The guard suddenly slipped on the napkin Jack had dropped earlier, and in an attempt to stop himself from falling out the window grabbed the other end of the rope.

His weight lifted Jack and Natalie from the floor; the girl gripped her father's coat for dear life as they landed on a ledge close to the ceiling. Then Jack jumped and grabbed the chandelier. Natalie waited until her swung back again, before jumping and grabbing onto _him_. Her weight made them swing further, and Jack was able to grab the balcony on the other end of the room.

He allowed Natalie to climb up first before taking the bun which he had kicked earlier and taking a bite. Natalie just rolled her eyes before dragging him away.

They hurried down the stairs, passing another guard who was unaware of what was going on; when the guard spotted them Natalie quickly battered his hat off his head to distract him. The guard still gave chase, but when he turned and called down another hallway for help, Jack and Natalie quickly ducked behind a table.

The guard dropped his sword and pistol on that same table before hurrying down the corridor with more marines behind him. When they were gone Jack appeared again, followed by Natalie, and the father took the sword and pistol. When another late guard hurried by Natalie quickly tripped him and kicked his head, knocking him out, before taking his sword and pistol. Then the pair hurried back up the stairs.

"Quickly! This way!" Jack hissed, and Natalie followed him down another corridor towards a window.

They opened the window, but found themselves three stores off the ground.

"Oh yeah! Go this way! Nice one, Dad!" Natalie snapped.

Jack began to panic when he heard the marines coming. Then he spotted a horse and cart carrying hay, and got an idea.

"Nat," he explained, "you remember the pub Gibbs mentioned? The _Captain's Daughter_?"

"Yeah?"

"Meet me there."

Suddenly he pushed her out the window, and Natalie screamed before landing on the cart full of hay. It was funny how no one appeared to notice. The girl stayed hidden until the cart had turned a corner; she was worried for her father, but she knew he could take care of himself.

Once she was far enough away Natalie hopped out.

"How do I even find this pub?" she muttered to herself. "London's huge. It could be _anywhere_."

She suddenly heard a grunt, and turning round she blinked when she realized a horse was standing before her. A mare, to be more specific. Her coat was a dark brown while her mane and tail were black, and she wore a headcollar over her head.

"Hey there," Natalie spoke gently, giving the mare a stroke.

The horse responded by pressing her head into the girl's hand encouragingly. She then pulled back and took Natalie's sleeve in her teeth, trying to lead her away. The girl tried to pull back.

"What is it?" she asked. "I can't follow you. I need to find this pub."

The horse whinnied, her head nodding up and down before she made gestures with it. Natalie realized she wanted her to follow. To the pub, perhaps. She sighed.

"All right, all right, I'm coming," Natalie told her, giving in.

She followed the horse down the street, which became less and less crowded the further they went. They made many turns, and soon, the horse stopped right outside the _Captain's Daughter_. Natalie was amazed.

"How did you know?" she asked.

But then she saw something in the mare's eyes. A spark which she never thought she'd see again...and one she hadn't lain eyes upon since the day of that terrible storm. It was impossible, but Natalie couldn't deny who this horse was.

"Mother?"

Suddenly the horse took off.

"Wait! Come back!" the girl called.

But the horse had vanished from sight.

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Please review. I don't know if the idea will work or not.


	44. Grandfather Again

Enjoy!

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Grandfather Again

It didn't take long to realize why the horse had taken off so suddenly. In the distance Natalie could hear the cluttering of hooves along with many bangs, crashes and gunshots. She turned, and at the sight of a horse and cart hurtling towards her, she leapt out the way.

The horse and cart passed on by, followed by many marines chasing after it. Once the coast was clear Natalie stepped out again to watch it go, but jumped when someone suddenly landed beside her. She sighed with relief when she saw it was only Jack.

"If I wasn't able to do that I'd be asking ye how ye do it," she commented.

He only smirked.

"Filthy pirates."

Both turned to see a marine standing behind them, pointing a musket in their direction. Suddenly a gunshot sounded; Jack and Natalie flinched, but it didn't take them long to realize that the marine had been shot instead of them.

The poor man fell to the ground and remained motionless. Then, from out of the pub, stepped a familiar face.

"Hello, Jackie. Natalie."

The two Sparrows smirked at Captain Teague.

* * *

The three of them found a table inside, and while Teague went to get their drinks, Natalie decided to tell her father the strange thing which had happened after they separated.

"It was the strangest thing," she began. "I didn't find this pub by meself. A horse led me here."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"A horse...led you here?" he asked, and his daughter nodded. "Nat, I think you're pot's finally cracked."

"Like yer's, then?"

He gave her an unamused look.

"All I'm saying is that animals have no brains, apart from three exceptions," he spoke again. "One: the dog from the jail in Port Royal. Not only does he guard keys very well...apart from that case with those two idiots...but he also managed to find a way off of that island infested with the cannibals. Two: Cotton's parrot. The only one I've ever known to not only talk, but he also somehow knew what his master wanted to say. And three: Barbossa's stupid monkey. He always knew how to annoy me. But apart from those three, all other animals are _stupid_."

"Not all of them," Natalie argued. "And this animal was...different. Call me crazy, but...I think it was Mother."

Jack, once again, raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, I'm calling you crazy."

Natalie rolled her eyes.

"I'm tellin' the truth, Dad," she told him. "It was like she knew where I was headin' so led me here. And she had that spark in her eyes. I would know it anywhere."

"You mean the spark I gave her?"

That was met with a playful shove.

"Keep tellin' yerself that."

She smirked, and Jack smirked back.

"Maybe you're missing her a little too much, and your mind is playing tricks on you," Jack explained. "You need to move on. But I can't say you're alone; my mind plays tricks on me all the time."

"I think that's because of the rum, Dad."

Before more could be said Teague arrived with the drinks. For himself and his son he'd ordered large pints, but because of her age, Natalie only had a rum shot. They all took sips.

"I understand you're putting together a crew," Teague began.

"If enough people are saying it, it must be true."

"Are ye sure ye didn't get drunk and started randomly tellin' people?" Natalie asked.

"I've never been that drunk."

"If ye've never been that drunk, I would've never been born."

"And if _I've_ never been that drunk, Jackie would've never been born," Teague spoke up, smirking.

"Thanks for that, Dad. Especially in front of my daughter."

Natalie snickered.

"I heard where you're heading," Teague continued. "The Fountain."

"Have you been there?" Natalie asked.

Teague smirked again.

"Does this face look like it's been to the Fountain of Youth?"

Jack shuddered.

"Depends on the lie," he replied hesitantly.

Natalie raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to Teague.

"How do we find it?" she asked.

"To find the Fountain, they'll be items required. Two chalices to be used in a ritual."

"On the map; there _was_ a chalice."

"Two. Both silver. They're on Pounce de Leon's ship. You'll need both."

"For what?"

Teague tut-tutted his son, shaking his head.

"The ritual," he explained. "Don't be a fool, Jackie. Find out every detail before you set sail. You don't want anything to happen to her again, do you?"

He nodded his head towards Natalie. For a brief moment Jack was reminded of that terrible night on the _Flying Dutchman_, but quickly pushed the memories aside. No, he didn't want that happening again.

He looked up and realized he hadn't answered...and that he was looking vulnerable.

"We'd love to set sail, but we need a ship," he explained, moving away from the subject of Natalie.

Teague nodded over to some people behind them. Natalie and Jack turned; there was a man playing some sort of banjo while a few others were singing along with the local prostitutes.

"Those folk over there," Teague explained. "They're signing up sailors right now. And one last thing; the Fountain will test you. Mark my words."

While Jack turned back to look at the sailors again, Teague stood up and quickly left. Natalie quickly hurried after him; she knew her grandfather was somewhat of an expert on the supernatural, and she needed to ask him something.

"Wait!"

Teague turned to face her again.

"What is it, lass?"

"I just..." she began, but hesitated; how could she explain it? "Is it...possible...for someone ye love to come back to ye...in another form."

Teague smirked. It was almost like he knew what she meant.

"Only if they're trying to tell you something."

He then turned and disappeared into the crowd. Natalie was left standing there for a few moments. _Only if she's trying to tell me something? Is she?_

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